Harry Potter 1. Prologue

Okay, so this is mainly a feeler chapter. I think that I have a great idea with this story, which would be a shorter story, but don't know if I'm going to be the only one who likes it. :p It's set during the seventh book, and is as compliant as I could make it. Also, I will be the first to tell you that Snape is out of character, but that's kind of necessary. I will probably be making a lot of changes to the story as I go, so don't be surprised if you have to re-read this chapter (I do apologize for that in advance). The rating should stay K+, because I don't want to go into graphic details.

So, I don't necessarily need (x amount) of reviews or ratings to continue, I would just like at least one person to ask me to finish the story. With that being said, I can't also promise to update regularly. I don't want to disappoint, so I make absolutely no promises. So let me know what you think. :]

P.S. I don't own anything other than Ophelia, but I do like to play pretend with J.K. Rowling's characters. :]

P.P.S. I altered this chapter December 14, 2010, because **CeresMaria **is amazing and pointed out a couple flaws. I'm quite grateful. :]

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**Prologue**

Severus Snape's dark figure slowly hobbled into his office and waited as the gargoyle jumped out of the way to let him in. There was a dull ache in his leg, but the pain was focused on his abdomen. It had been a particularly brutal night and he was more than ashamed of himself. Severus had been forced to rape a student of his, but she was definitely a fighter. She had landed a blow to his abdomen with her knee, and used a broken vase to cut his leg before he was able to Imperius her to no longer feel the pain, but to act as if it hurt. He sighed as he sunk down onto the couch in front of the fire and tried to warm up, but decided to speak to the former Headmaster in his portrait.

Albus Dumbledore studied at the younger man carefully, and was rewarded with a slight sign of pain and hatred for himself. After a moment, he addressed the poor man, "Severus, you look worse than you normally do upon returning. What has happened?"

With a shuddering breath, the younger man responded, "We came upon a group of young girls, couldn't have been older than seventeen.. They were all raped and I was forced to.. That poor girl.." He sunk his head into his hands, and he couldn't help but sob. He had only felt this horrible when he had betrayed Lily by relaying the information to Lord Voldemort, and he could only wish to never feel this horrible again.

Dumbledore let him trail off, understanding. Severus left the portrait to find a potion to help put him to sleep without his nightmares finding him. When he returned, Severus took several deep breaths and managed to calm down enough to explain to the older man exactly what had happened. He was disgusted to say that he had been forced to rape one of his students, but he was glad to say that he had was able to take her back to his home on Spinner's End and _obliviate _her. She was currently resting with a note on the night stand that explained her whereabouts and enough of the situation so she was not confused.

He had felt guilty and wanted to make it right. While he couldn't help the other girls, whom he did not recognize, he was able to save one girl. In the note, he had claimed that he found her on his way home from dinner. He then brought her to his home, and healed her. He also mentioned that he was certain that the Death Eaters presumed her dead and that it was absolutely dangerous for her to return to her family. She was to apparate with Severus to the hidden island that Dumbledore had left to him, and stay there until the war was over.

Dumbledore advised him to spend the weekend with her, seeing as the school wasn't to start for another week. She was going to be transferred to Hogwarts to be hidden, assuming that the Dark Lord didn't plant Death Eaters in the school. They had a lot to discuss, but for now he just wanted to rest and hopefully put this night in the dark recess of his mind. Severus took the potion with him and left a message with the gargoyle before heading to the fireplace to floo to his home.

* * *

She was standing in front of the mirror with her shirt rolled up to reveal her stomach; she was turning this way and that to inspect it. The hair that was falling out of her lazy bun covered her frown; a small bump was forming and it was not a good sign. With a sigh, she covered her belly and turned back to her desk. The letter she had been writing was finished and she just needed to send it. She was home, or rather at his hidden island, for the Christmas holidays, but she couldn't afford to wait to tell Professor Snape until she got back. He hadn't thought that it was safe to let her return to her parents, most because they still thought that she was dead.

She had been lonely at Professor Snape's secret manor, but she could not complain because it was better than being dead. She mainly shut herself up in the library – sometimes even falling asleep in the library, much to her chagrin – and would wander down to make herself some food. Professor Snape had dropped her off with several bags of food that should, he had hoped, last her through the holidays. She obviously wasn't able to get present for her friends and family, but she had resolved to make a present for her savior. She snapped back to her thoughts, rolling up the letter and finding a bit of twine to tie it up with.

The brown owl, Bernie, was waiting in her cage, and was only happy to be able to stretch her wings. She murmured the name of the recipient and the owl was off in a flurry of feathers. The small owl fought with heavy snowfall, but didn't stop flying until it reached a dark, magical forest and the castle that over looked it. It knew to fly directly to his office and tap its beak on the window. Severus Snape was not expecting a letter, because he had no one to spend the holidays with, so he had to admit that he was beyond curious to see what it said. He carefully untied the letter and allowed the owl to rest on one of Fawkes' old perches. He fed the owl a couple of treats before sitting down at his desk to being reading the letter.

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_ Professor Snape,_

_ It's been about two months since I awoke in your home to find out that I was raped. I am fortunate to tell you  
that I feel much better and am coping quite well. However, I'm unfortunate enough to tell you that my rapist  
impregnated me and I will be due about two months before the school year will end. I don't know what we can  
do with the situation, but I do know that you are the only one who can help me now. Thank you for everything  
that you've done._

_ Sincerely,  
Ophelia Reynolds_

Severus was going to be sick. He had done many terrible things, which he genuinely felt guilty for, but he had tried to make sure they were quick and painless. Whether it was using the Imperius Curse to prevent the pain of a beating, or quickly killing his victims without torturing them. Now, he had caused her a lifetime of nightmares and a child to remind her of it everyday. Severus had a feeling that she wouldn't ever give the baby up for adoption, so she was going to look at their baby - not that she knew it was his - with the knowledge that she had been violated. That wasn't even taking into consideration that she couldn't return to school, nor would she be able to leave the island until Lord Voldemort was defeated. He took a deep breath to quell the nausea and nodded looked to Dumbledore. "She's pregnant, Albus. Miss Reynolds is pregnant."


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; Unfortunately I don't own anything involving Harry Potter, and I also don't make any profit from it. However, I've taken the liberty to play with J.K. Rowling's toys that she's unknowingly shared..

Note; I love you guys. :] I must say that I'm surprised that so many of you guys wanted me to continue. I appreciate the reviews, and I encourage constructive criticism. Umm. I don't believe that I changed much in the Prologue, so you shouldn't need to go back to re-read it. I also must remind you that I don't know when I'll be able to update again. So please enjoy!

P.S. I did edit and add to this chapter because **CeresMaria** is amazing and pointed out a couple flaws. Thank you for your input, and I would very much appreciate it if anyone who feels like it would do the same. :]

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**Confrontation**

"Severus, you mustn't beat yourself up over following orders," Dumbledore's soft voice was only a minute comfort. The old man's portrait was charmed to look like Fawkes – who had disappeared – on his perch and cleaning his feathers. Severus was recently told that the lovely Carrow siblings would be joining Hogwarts and it would look suspicious if there was a painting of the enemy on the wall. Without acknowledging Dumbledore, Severus paced in front of his fireplace, trying to focus on a solution. The girl still needed to be hidden, she was currently hiding on a remote island that Dumbledore had left him: the island was well hidden off of the coast of Canada and not even the Ministry knew of it. He needed to be closer to her, to take care of her, but, more importantly, he needs a healer to be closer to her in case something goes wrong. He could always connect Poppy's office to his island, but he couldn't risk her knowing in case the Carrows were phishing for information.

Severus could do without a healer if he were able to spend the majority of his time with her. He wouldn't be needed until a little later in the pregnancy, but he still needed to be close no matter what. He decided to go talk to her, comfort her in any small way that he could until he was able to make a decision. Severus wanted to get her something to console her – like flowers or chocolates – but had no idea what. He stopped by Spinner's End to grab his mother's ring, charming it and his mother's, father's ring. The only reason that he found this acceptable was because he never expected to marry: so the rings were otherwise useless. If she ever needed him, she was to say _pervenio _and his ring would warm up: the more she needed him, the warmer the ring got. He was sure that he would be able to go to her right away, or at least fairly quickly depending on how much she needed him.

He apparated just outside his house on his secret island and entered the house; he was surprised to find her in the kitchen making breakfast. Ophelia was wearing a pair of his old pajama pants and an old button up shirt, singing to the music playing from a set of speakers on the counter. She turned around after flipping her french toast and was surprised to find her Professor standing in the door way. She was suddenly aware of her appearance: her auburn hair was falling out of a pony tail and she was wearing his clothes. She cursed inwardly, hoping that he wouldn't mention it, but smiled at him with a proper greeting. "Good morning, Professor. Would you like some french toast?"

Severus gave a sharp nod while still taking her in. He found that he like the way his old clothes fit on her, but enjoyed the messy and careless look of her hair. Although the clothes weren't skin tight, he couldn't help but notice her slight curves. The bump of her belly was only barely noticeable, but – and he would never admit this out loud – he had already noticed the swell of her breasts since the last time he had seen her. He shook himself from his thoughts as she told him that it was ready. She plopped down at the table and folded her legs up onto her chair to sit Indian style: he carefully slid into the opposite chair and began eating. Ophelia was never one for unnecessary silences, so she broke the silence. She knew her Professor well enough to know that he was here to talk about her pregnancy and nothing more, so she dove right in. "I must admit, sir, that I didn't expect to see you quite so soon."

"Well it's an important matter that must be discussed immediately," he began, pausing to take a sip of the orange juice she set in front of him. "I'm about to divulge a certain amount of information, which would make it even more dangerous to return to the school."

She cast her light gray eyes downward, slightly upset that she couldn't return to her friends. She was picking apart her meal at this point, but waited for him to continue. He set down his fork, having finished his surprisingly delicious breakfast, and settled his attention on the young woman before him. His baritone voice was softer than usual and he hesitated in telling her, "There will be several Death Eaters coming to Hogwarts to teach, and they can't know that you're still alive, for obvious reasons."

"But, Professor," she felt insolent for interrupting, but was confused. "How? Why can't you keep them out?" Her eyes were pleading with him to answer her questions with what she wanted to hear. Hogwarts used to be the safest place in the world, but, now that Dumbledore has died, they were going to be a prison for the Dark Lord's teachings. His walls were in place, but he couldn't help but grimace inwardly at her obvious distress.

He tried to sooth her, but was not acquainted with the action, seeing as it was normally his goal to torment the students at Hogwarts. "Miss Reynolds, I wish that I had the power to keep them back, but, unfortunately, I do not." He paused, as if debating with himself, before finally unbuttoning his left sleeve and rolling it up to show the mark that he was thoroughly ashamed of. "I am a spy for the Order of Pheonix," he ignored her gasp, "and if I try to prevent them from entering the school, they will figure it out. I have to protect the students as best as I can, but I still have to help fight this war."

She sniffled, trying to fight the tears, but couldn't help but shuddering. She felt cold and alone, considering that she didn't know when she would see her friends and family next, if at all. Severus watched as a fog formed above her and started to snow very lightly. It was uncommon that a baby's powers developed this early on, but not unheard of.

"Miss Reynolds, you must calm down," he could see his breath as he spoke, "Look at what you're doing." He reached over the small table and gently grabbed her chin and made her look at him; there were tears in her eyes but she seemed to understand. "You must learn to keep your emotions under control because, not only could it harm the baby, but you can't control the magic that the emotional distress will cause."

She cast her eyes downward, still upset, but nodded and calmed down. The temperature slowly went back to normal, and Severus hesitantly let go of Ophelia's delicate chin. He stared into her eyes, fighting the urge to enter her mind, and tried to convey his sympathy. Ophelia took a sip of her orange juice and stood to begin cleaning the kitchen of the mess she had made. Severus watched her closely, trying to gauge her reactions, and continued the conversation. "Miss Reynolds, I am quite curious as to how you knew that you were pregnant."

"Oh, well I missed two of my menstruation cycles," she answered casually. "You probably don't really want the details, but my periods are regular and it's extremely odd for me to miss, not just one, but two periods in a row." She was scrubbing the dishes in the sink with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and she was slightly splashing water onto the white shirt.

He brought the plates from the table to the sink to aid her if only slightly. He leaned against the counter next to the sink, he was oddly aware of how close he was to her and wondered if she had even noticed. "If you missed one, why were you not alarmed then?" He was trying his hardest not to patronize her, but he didn't know how well he was succeeding. It was too ingrained into his nature to sneer and ridicule stupidity.

"Well," she blushed, "I was so busy with Quidditch, school work and my prefect duties to even notice. It wasn't until the second one that I missed that I realized that I missed it at all." She was embarrassed because she had never felt more stupid. She had even gone as far as placing the proper products in her school bags like any normal month, and removed the 'excess' when it would have been over, but it hadn't even come and she didn't notice.

Severus couldn't help but notice that she was getting the front of the shirt she was wearing wet with all the splashing that she was doing. He abruptly turned away, feeling guilty once more and stepped away towards the back door of the house. He was berating himself for hoping to glimpse the pink, supple nipples that he had enjoyed two months ago, even though he knew that she will probably never reciprocate the feelings of desire. His movements were stiff – if one were observing them with severe scrutiny – as he pulled out the rings. Severus placed the box containing the ring on the table, explained in quite a brusk manner about the spell and excused himself back to Hogwarts. He decided that it was not a good idea for him to stay with here if he couldn't trust his thoughts. She smiled in goodbye, and he disapperated back to the school.

He was disgusted with himself: he had raped the girl and he was still thinking about her naked body. He was walking up the grounds of the castle, thanking whatever gods one may believe in that it was freezing cold. He couldn't deny that he had enjoyed her body – he wouldn't have been able to impregnate her otherwise – when he was forced to do the unthinkable, but that was no excuse for his thoughts now. He shouldn't ever re-visit the memories of her body underneath his, and that his ever twisted soul was forever damned yet again. He didn't remember entering the school, nor did he remember entering his bed chambers that are just through his office. He lit the fire in the fire place, summoned a bottle of Firewhiskey, charmed to never run out.

While he couldn't say that he had taken any particular notice to her while she was as school before the attack, he had been more attention this year. He had to say that she had been handling the rape well, only minor breakdowns that he could now attribute to overworking herself in school. He watched her interact with other students and couldn't help but admire her maturity and her friendly nature. He felt guilty every time he saw her dining in the Great Hall, or any time he passed her in the hallways, but was always pleasantly surprised that she smiled at him as if she were thanking him for saving her all over again. He often thought about her as he sat by fire in his office, often drinking himself into numbness. Whilst thinking about her on these nights, he had to remind himself that the only reason she smiled at him in the aforementioned way was because she thought that he was her savior, not her rapist.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer; Unfortunately, I do not own anything pertaining to Harry Potter, nor do I profit from this.

Note; Hey guys. :] Thanks for all the reviews! Again, I would love any sort of constructive criticism that you have to offer. I tried to get this out on Christmas, but sadly I ran out of time. I would've updated yesterday, but I was way too exhausted after work (it's the busiest day of the year for my kiosk in the mall). So Merry belated Christmas! Please enjoy! :D

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**Pinky Promises**

Although Ophelia was trying to just be grateful for everything that has been done for her, she couldn't help but miss her family. The last thing she said to her mother may not have been hurtful, it had definitely not been nice. She couldn't even remember the last thing that she had said to her siblings, or her father for that matter. She was currently curled up on the window sill in Severus' library, trying to study her dense transfiguration book – she was failing quite miserably, though. She was torn away from her thoughts as Ella – a house elf that Severus had transferred from Hogwarts – arrived with dinner. Ophelia thanked Ella – who exclaimed that she was too kind and immediately popped on her next chore – and sat down to eat the divine meal that Ella had prepared.

Ophelia's thoughts strayed towards Severus, his generosity and how thankful she was to have him taking care of her. Although ,she must admit that she was quite confused as to why he would volunteer to help. He was the dark, snarky Potions Master who practically abhorred anyone who wasn't a Slytherin. He had never paid any extra attention to her, and she knew for a fact that he was never, ever happy to extend an extra helping hand to a student. It did not make sense, she could not help but think. It couldn't be just that he was her Headmaster, because not even Dumbeldore would've taken her in: he most likely would've sent her and her family into hiding. So there was something going on, and she was going to ask Severus as soon as he returned. That was another thing that she couldn't help but wonder, why on earth would he order her to call him Severus – she felt that he didn't let just anyone be so informal with him. He had only had to tell her once, and she knew that he would not tolerate being called Professor Snape any longer. She shook her head, hoping to dispel the doubts, because she knew that she should just be grateful. The thoughts, however, remained.

The first visit since finding out she was pregnant seemed like ages ago, when in reality it had only been two months or so. Since then, he diligently came back every night to sleep in his manor. Most nights, he would return after she had fallen asleep, but occasionally he would come home to see her awake in the den, curled up with a book. He would slowly sit down and glares – she likes to think that it's just the natural look on his face so that he rather stares – into the fire. Every night, she slowly strikes up a conversation that she hopes is neutral and should not anger him. Through this, she's learned several things: he dislikes most sweets, he loathes talking about school and his 'dunderhead' students, and that he would never divulge any information about his childhood. He would occasionally just pace in front of the fire and vent about his day, and she knew that she needed to just stay quiet and especially not say anything if he downed a glass of Firewhiskey or two. He wasn't going to just answer her question, when the time came, and she was trying to figure out a way to demand the answer from him without seeming insolent or childish.

She sighed and rubbed her now enormous belly, or so she thought: Severus often told her to quit worrying about it with a sneer. Ophelia had had minimal symptoms and only got sick two or three times, but she was definitely feeling the strain on her back and feet. She waddled around day in and day out, wishing that she could massage her own feet but she just couldn't reach nowadays. She had day dreamed once or twice that Severus came home to do it for her, but she hadn't ever had enough courage to ask. She stood up and stretched to the best of her abilities, then she called Ella to come clean up the leftovers of her meal before trading her transfiguration book for the novel that she was reading and heading to the den. She was determined to wait up for him, or fall asleep trying.

* * *

Severus rubbed his temples quite hard, trying to rid himself of the headache that was coming on. The Carrows had punished a student too harshly – something about the student's laughter disturbing ttheir thoughts – complained Minerva. She was constantly nagging him that he was letting them get away with too much, and that it was hard to tell where his loyalties lie. He argued with her, quite often, saying that if he stopped them, then they would be on to him. He snarled at her that he was doing what he could before throwing her out of his office. He was trying to get ready to go home, but was having a hard time. Severus' thoughts normally drifted to Ophelia and the baby about this time, which then led to his nightly drink of Firewhiskey to forget them before going home. However, he was a little too exhausted and just wanted to get home before someone else came to see him.

He floo'd to the house his mother left him and then apparated to the island. He hadn't noticed the time that he had left, but he thought that Ophelia would be asleep because she tended to fall asleep around half past ten. However, as he walked past the den, he noticed her dosing on the couch with an open book on her bulging stomach. He cracked what he calls a smile, and knelt down next to her. He gently smoothed away the hair from her face before he tried to wake her, but she opened her eyes while he was caressing her. Her eyes widened a fraction – she was surprised that he was being affectionate with her – before she smiled at him and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, something that Ophelia did not miss. "I was trying to wait up for you, Severus, but apparently you had to stay late tonight," she explained with a bashful smile and a light blush.

"Well I'm home now, so let's go to bed," he murmured softly. He was surprised, confused and touched that she tried to wait up: surprised because she had never done it before, confused because there was no apparent reason for the sudden attempt at an all nighter and touched because he had – against his conscious mind's will – this twinge of hope that she might have actually cared about him. So he gently helped her up and tried to direct her to the room; Albus had lived alone, and had only needed one room; so Severus took the couch, charmed into a bed, and Ophelia took the room.

Once she realized what he was doing, she gently protested and explained that she wanted to ask him something. He nudged her into the room, telling her to walk and talk at the same time. She was a little groggy, but she remembered her plan. "I've been thinking," she ignored his sarcastic remark about it being painful and continued. "I was wondering why you have chosen to help me. I mean, you don't care about any students and yet here you are, saving my life everyday." If she was more awake, she would've grimaced at the tactless way she blurted it out.

Severus had hoped that this question would have waited until after the Dark Lord had been defeated. He scowled, however, in response to her question. He laid her down on the bed, and transfigured her clothes into comfortable pj's – a shirt quite similar to the button up shirt she enjoyed wearing and some flannel bottoms. Severus resisted the urge to brush her hair away again, as he responded, trying to keep a cold tone to his voice. "I will answer your questions tomorrow, Ophelia, because you and I are far too tired for any sort of discussion."

She whimpered, quite saddened at being brushed off but too tired to argue. He slowly reached over to grab the other pillow from the bed and head into the den to sleep on the couch. As he stood to leave, he murmured a quick 'good night', then turned to leave. Seeing that he was leaving, Ophelia snatched a handful of his sleeve and stopped him. He growled, readying himself for the argument that was sure to ensue, but was shocked by her request. Her voice was soft and bashful – she was thanking the gods that it was dark and he couldn't see her blush scarlet – as she asked, "Will you please stay in here with me? I don't want to be alone." When he didn't immediately respond, she continued, "You can separate our sides of the bed, but I need to feel that you're here."

He grimaced: could he stay in the same bed as the woman that he not only raped, but enjoyed the sexual contact? She must've seen, because she frowned and let go immediately mumbling 'never mind' before pulling the blankets up to her eyes. He was stricken with sudden guilt, although he didn't quite understand why, and began weighing the pros and cons. On one hand, he was her headmaster, technically, and her rapist – he couldn't lay next to her without thinking of her naked, _imperius_'d body screaming in mock pain and disgust. On the other hand, though, the bed was closer and he was beyond exhausted. His body's fatigue – and although he wouldn't admit to it, his unexplained guilty – won out and he walked around to the other side of the bed, much to her surprise. Severus transfigured his clothes into pj's and laid down next to her. He had a hard time staying far enough away from the edge of the bed and Ophelia at the same time, but managed to find some sort of balance.

"Severus?" She asked, startling him. When he grunted, she rolled over and held her pinky out to him. "Pinky promise me that you'll answer me tomorrow." He was half asleep as she made this request, so he sleepily grabbed her pinky with his and mumbled 'I promise'. She grinned, although he couldn't see it, and drifted off to sleep. He was barely awake, and turned to look over to her. He fell asleep like that: with his head facing her direction and with his long pinky finger entwined with her slender one.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer; [Insert obligatory disclaimer stating that I'm a poor nobody] ;]

Note: I actually am surprised that I typed all this up this quickly. Soo Happy New Year, I guess! I really didn't want to end this chapter where I did, but I don't quite know how I want the details to play out after this point; but I also didn't want to make you guys wait for another update. Speaking of you guys, I just want to thank all of you that reviewed and encourage every one else to review. :] So enough of my rambling! Enjoy the chapter! :D

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**Explanations**

When Severus awoke, he was instantly aware of two things; somebody laying quite close to him, and that his pinky was being gripped by something. He turned ever so slightly to see Ophelia, laying close to him – not quite touching him, but he was acutely aware of her smaller body. Their pinkies were still twisted together, and he noticed that there was quite a contrast between her naturally tan skin and his pale, pasty skin. While he had slept like a fallen tree, she had shifted slightly so that she was facing away from him. He looked away and slowly sat up, trying not to disturb her, before he climbed out of bed to take a shower. As if he was unaware earlier, he was suddenly hit with the revelation that it was Saturday and that he didn't have to go back to Hogwarts until midday. With a sigh of relief, he showered to wake himself up.

When Ophelia woke up, however, she was only aware of one thing; that Severus was not there with her. She quickly sat up, looking for any signs of the man before she heard the shower turn on. She could not help the smile that spread across her face as she realized that he had stayed. He didn't have to, but he had chosen to comfort her. When she heard the shower turn off – man, he showers quickly! - she quickly jumped up, and after readjusting all of her twisted up clothing, then scampered off downstairs to make breakfast. Feeling a little lazy, Ophelia decided to just make some omelets and grabbed out the ingredients to do so. After putting her hair into another lazy bun, she began working on her omelet. Severus walked in at about this point, and quietly set to work on making a cup of tea. They worked in a comfortable silence, only speaking when Ophelia asked what Severus wanted on his omelet. She was amazed that he seemed content or mainly just not angry. She normally didn't wake up to see him off, so she really only saw him when he stormed into the den in a huff and vented to her. When they finally sat down to eat, she was reminded of his pinky promise. "So now will you answer my question?"

He was not surprised that she remembered, just hoping that he had more time to think of an answer. He didn't want to shatter her mental image of him as her savior, but knew that he couldn't keep it a secret from her forever. What if the child looked like him? Wouldn't that be a huge indicator? He slid a hand down his face, holding back a groan, "Could we possibly wait until after breakfast? It isn't a particularly pleasant explanation."

With a silent nod, Ophelia dropped it until they were sitting in the den once more. They had had a pleasant breakfast – she was shocked when he almost started teasing her at one point – and they moved to the den so that they could sit comfortably. He rummaged around until he found a stone basin and set in on the coffee table in between them. "Ophelia, I'm going to show you a memory. It will most likely upset you and I must remind you to keep as calm as you possibly can," he warned in a cold voice. He placed the tip of his wand to his temple and, with a mumbled incantation, pulled out a long, silvery memory. Once it was safely swimming in the basin, they leaned forward and fell into the experience. He had purposely left it unmodified, and he had kept a great distance away from her as she watched; he hoped that this would help her digest the information and help her from hating him.

Ophelia watched as the memory started out with Severus, among others, kneeling in front of the Dark Lord. He was wearing dark robes that didn't differ from the others, but she just knew which one was him. Their masks looked almost like a second skin, rather than a mask, and made each one of them look quite anonymous. She didn't pay particular attention to what the Dark Lord was saying, mostly because she knew that that's not what Severus was trying to show her and partly because he was controlling the memory and didn't want her to hear much. When the group of men were dismissed, he followed the other Death Eaters outside. Without much of a warning, they apparated to a dark street – one that she did not recognize right away – and began stalking the night. There were several groups of people heading in many different directions, and Severus was with three other men down a street that she was beginning to recognize. Ophelia was startled to see his group following a group of young women, but she was down right shocked to see herself in that group of muggles. She had very little of her own memories of that night, but knew that that was the night that she was raped. She began to panic, not wanting to watch that torment, but she also began to feel what Severus had been feeling during the memory.

She felt his anguish as he himself realized what he had to do to one of these young women. He was angry that Dumbledore had manipulated him into all of this. His disgust, however, was the most prominent. She somehow knew that it had been a while for him, and that, although he had preferred that it be consensual, he was going to enjoy the physical contact. The group of men descended on the girls, but Severus – having recognized her as his student – had stepped forward to claim the first pick. Ophelia knew that he hated himself for having to choose just one and that he wished, almost more than anything else, that he could just kill all of the Death Eaters and return the girls safely home. However, that did not seem to be an option, as he grabbed her arm and started leading her away. As they were walking away, Severus cast several charms on her and she knew that he had used the Imperius Curse as well as a contraception charm.

He took her to a darker area, knowing that no one was going to pay close attention to them if they had to try. The curse kept her screaming in agony, but, in the shadows, Severus had worshiped her body. He had treated her like she was a willing participant, and even pleased her first, much to her chagrin. It was no matter, because she was mortified at the sight before her, though: her rapist had been her trusted Professor. The man that she thought to be her savior, and the man that had sheltered her from any danger. Her gray eyes started welling up with tears, and she backed away from the scene before her, although she was unable to get very far. Ophelia watched as he took his wand, stunned her and made some slashes in her clothing, produced fake blood from his pocket and smear it convincingly on her in random places. He threw her limp body over his shoulder and, placing a false sneer back on his face, appeared before the group. Severus coldly informed another Death Eater of his departure and that he would dispose of her body himself. After enduring a snide comment that he must be deprived because he was quick, Severus apparated with her safely on his shoulder.

When the memory ended, Ophelia found herself on the couch as before, but she tears were pouring out of her eyes. Severus felt the waves of guilt just as he had when it had actually happened, only intensified. Her body shuddered, and she huddled over her bulging stomach, as if to protect the baby inside. Severus knew that he couldn't blame her for the disgust or even from trying to shield the babe – he imagined that any decent mother would keep their children away from him if they could. Against his facade's nature, he wanted to comfort her, hold her until she was finished crying, but knew that she would be disgusted by her touch. He merely waited in the agonizing silence.

She didn't know what to think, anymore. Her Professor, the man who had claimed to save her, was the one who had violated her and ruined her life by botching up contraceptive charm. He had offered to take care of her and make sure that she was alive and safe, but only because he had been the one to cause her damage? Did her to marry him? Did he even want to be apart of the babe's life? These questions were the only things running through her mind, until she finally had to ask. She took a deep breath, wiped any remaining tears off of her face, and looked directly at him. Ophelia pierced him with her sharp, gray eyes, daring him to try to lie to her. "Why?" Her voice shook a little, but she never wavered in her mini-interrogation. "I understand that you had to do it as to not blow your cover, but why not just tell me the truth? Were you ever going to tell me, had I not asked? And how in the hell could you have botched up the contraceptive charm?"

He could feel her fury radiating off of her small body, and he was impressed that she was controlling it as well as she was. He placed that thought aside for a moment, before addressing her questions. Severus managed to keep a sneer off of his face and the cold tone out of his voice. "The charm is only ninety-eight percent effective, we just must have been the lucky two percent that the charm didn't work on. I was hoping that you would never ask, yes, but I have never lied. Had I not stepped forward to claim you like I had, you would've felt true pain and that's what I saved you from," his voice was soft, softer than she had ever heard. He had a pained expression on his face and it was evident in his voice, as well. "I'm truly sorry, Ophelia, and I can never express the depth of my guilt."

She watched his eyes closely, as if to make sure that he wasn't lying, and slowly stood up. He was worried that she was going to lock herself in the room, but she slid the pensieve to the side and sat in front of him on the coffee table. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, so that he was slightly closer: Ophelia leaned forward as well and grabbed his left hand, holding it in both of her hands. She looked into to his dark, endless eyes before she asked, "So I guess all that I feel like I need to know is the plan. What is the plan, Severus?"

"Well," he began. He watched as she began, hesitantly, unbuttoning his sleeve, and then examined his Dark Mark. She traced it with her soft fingers, nearly causing him to shudder. He studied her dainty hands that held his coarse hands, then continued, "The plan is to just wait it out until the Dark Lord falls once more. Anything else is up to you, Ophelia."

She pondered this for a moment, reviewing what she wanted to ask in her head. She took a deep breath before plunging in, "What about the baby?" She grimaced at her so-called grace, but expanded. "You're her father; so, I imagine that you'd want to be a part of her life, right? How is this going to work out?" At his silence, she explained her concern. "Are you going to want to be around the baby? Are you going to want help me raise her or am I fending for myself?" Severus was drawing a blank. He could never picture himself living through this war, let alone what his life would be like. Glancing back down at her hands, he tried to find an answer.

Having pretty much given up on receiving an answer, Severus surprised Ophelia with an answer. His voice was soft and silky, but quite vulnerable, "Ophelia, I don't quite know how to tell you this, but I believe that the odds of my survival are slim to none. My will has already been changed to include you and the babe; twenty-five percent will go to you and seventy-five percent will go to the child. However, if I do survive, I would like nothing more than to help raise our child, if you would let me."


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer; I don't own anything involving Harry Potter, nor do I make a monetary profit from this story. :]

Note; So.. I'm going to tell you now, that I ended it at a crappy place. I really just wanted to get a chapter out there, but didn't have much more time to write more. So I hope that everyone enjoys the chapter! Please let me know if there are any plot holes or errors, 'cause I'll be forever grateful and fix them! :]

**CeresMaria**: I had planned on waiting to explain why she feels like she's having a girl until this chapter, because it fit better in this chapter than it did in the last. :]

* * *

**Thoughts on the Beach**

Ophelia bit her lip, to hide her frown. Although she didn't quite understand why, she felt a stab of fear for Severus and wished with all her heart that he would survive. She looked down at his Dark Mark and her hand running her fingers over it. She was confused, partly because she didn't understand why she felt sadness at the thought of him being gone, but mostly because she sensed that he didn't want to survive the war. She didn't dare ask him why, because he had a tendency to mock everyone and avoiding the questions with a sneer. With a sigh and downcast eyes, she slipped to the floor and sat in between his legs in quite a bold move. She leaned her head against his right knee, but still let her hand trail up and down his arm. "I would love it if you were around, Severus." Although it was only a whisper, she startled herself by saying it, but she couldn't find it in herself to regret it.

Although she hadn't noticed, Severus had stiffened at the show of affection: didn't she just witness him raping her? Shouldn't she be disgusted at his touch? However, these thoughts went away when she had whispered that one sentence. His heart clenched, torn between bringing her up into his arms and shoving her away with a sneer and mocking her, but his hand moved of its own accord: he softly began to run his hand over her hair, as if petting her. She practically purred in response, causing him to smile, and rested there for a bit.

"Severus," she murmured to break the silence. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but Ophelia's mind had been heavily weighed with thoughts that she needed to share. She did not raise her head, scared to watch his reaction, "Is there any way that I could convince you to tell me about your childhood?" This time, she did feel him stiffen, but she prevented his immediate outburst with her interruption. "I know that you aren't comfortable with talking about it, but I know virtually nothing about you as Severus, and not my Professor. But I understand if you don't want to."

He lowered his head, allowing his hair to shield his face. His lip quivered, ready for the verbal abuse he was about to deliver, but he took a deep breath instead. He had stopped petting her hair and pulled his arm away from her hand, but had managed to stop himself from throwing her off of him. He had absolutely no desire to revisit his childhood, not even to tell Ophelia about Lily. How could he tell her that his life has been and will always be lonely and miserable? "Ophelia, there is no easy way to say that I was a miserable, lonely kid and I will always be lonely and miserable. I cannot tell you when I will ever want to go back and revisit those terrible times," he sneered. He gently stood, lifting her to sit onto the couch in his place, and began to ready himself to leave. He spoke to her in such a cold tone, that it sent shivers down her spine. "I must go back to the school. I will most likely be back late tonight, considering that I got a late start today." With that, he was gone.

* * *

After Severus had left, Ophelia was sitting on the patio furniture in the shade, watching the sun set over the water. The sun was sending color after color over the water, and it was a beautiful sight. She had never really looked at the island before, so, and it was on this bench that she had decided this, she was going to take walks to see the small island. When the sun was finally down, Ophelia cast a warming spell on her clothing and continued to watch the night sky. She was amazed to see the night life flying across the moon and above the water. The bats were screeching, in a surprisingly pleasant way, and the owls were hooting far off in the distance, and the slight breeze kept the night relaxing. Her thoughts drifted back to Severus, as they had been the last couple of hours. He had stormed off for work and left her feeling guilty. She had only wanted to know who he was on a more personal level. She barely knew more than any of his other students, and it frustrated her to no end. Another reason, she kept telling herself, was that she wanted to piece together who her daughter might become. However, if she was honest with herself, she really just wanted to get to know him.

She was also unsure how to go about telling Severus that she was sure that they were having a girl. It was just a feeling that she had, but she kept having dreams of a little strawberry-blond girl playing in the flowers on the island. The girl always seemed to look like her mother – which had been a relief when she hadn't known who her rapist was – but she always had very dark, stormy blue eyes. With a bitter sigh, because she felt like she was always doing nothing, she stood and wandered closer to the beach. She couldn't even picture her own daughter properly, for heaven's sake! After sitting in front of a log to lean against, she summoned some of the chopped wood by the house, then started a fire on the beach. She was enjoyed the warmth of her fire, but the relaxation of the night air as well.

Ophelia's thoughts drifted once more. She couldn't help but trying to imagine how the future might go, despite how hard it was to imagine her daughter. She could imagine herself being married, being a mom but not a stay home mom. She could imagine, as she always had, herself running an apothecary or a book store and living on the floor above the shop. A lot of the dreams that she had had involved chasing the child throughout the store, as well as the field of flowers. Although she tried to imagine what kind of man she would marry, but she couldn't see herself interacting with anyone but her daughter or Severus. She frowned, not understanding, but shook the thought away and moved on to baby names. The only names that she could think of were after her grandmother – Quintessa Aleda Finnigan – or a name that she had always loved – Tegan Eileen. She had a lot of time to decide, she smiled to herself, but she was having a hard time waiting.

After putting another log on the fire, Ophelia's thoughts drifted to her former Professor. She frowned: although she didn't know what time it was, she knew that it was late and that he wasn't home yet. She was a little confused by her feelings around him. There was a bit of fear – from her school days and the new truth that he was her rapist – but mostly she was content, happy even. She was happy to just sit in the library and read in silence with him, but she also enjoyed talking to him now that he seemed to lay off of her. It wasn't often, but he had occasionally reverted to his sarcasm and had finally backed off when he saw that she would avoid him for a while afterward. When she found out that he was her rapist, she was hardly disgusted by the fact that it was him, but more at the fact that he hadn't told her. Tilting her head back to stare at the stars, she determined that she had not only come to respect him, but she had also come to like him and his company. It was an odd feeling, mostly because all of her crushes had been in her year, but she actually didn't mind her new found crush. With that thought, and a smile, she drifted off to sleep by the fire.

* * *

Severus almost regretted flooing to Spinner's End, mostly because he didn't want to face Ophelia after the way he had fled from their conversation. So he had procrastinated as long as possible, finishing every bit of paperwork, even if it wasn't necessary for several months, and even taking a patrol shift. He had however, run out of things to do around midnight and needed to return home after a drink of Firewhiskey or three. With a weary sigh, he fetched his cloak and stood in front of the fireplace. He arrived in his childhood home and stepped out into the sitting room. He was still hesitating and sat down heavily in one of the armchairs. While he didn't particularly feel bad for dismissing her, he didn't want her to think him a coward, even though that's the way that he was acting. He also was having a hard time dealing with his feelings. He had slowly started to notice the new feelings that were creeping up on him, but he didn't understand them. Like, for instance, when he had objected to telling Ophelia of his childhood, it was not because he didn't want to share information about himself, but because he did not want to visit his past. He also noticed that he had allowed her to touch him in an affectionate way. She cuddled up to him, mostly to find solace, but she had wanted to find solace in him.

Severus snarled at himself angrily: who in the hell would ever want to find solace in him? He didn't want anyone to desire him. He wanted to die alone, just as he had lived alone because he could not have his precious Lily: if he could not have her, then he wanted no one. He had sacrificed the last couple of decades to Lily and her son, because his heart ached at the thought of denying her anything. He could still imagine her soft face smiling up at him, and her sparkling green eyes as she laughed; but the imagines were often replaced with her glaring at him, focusing every ounce of hate in her small body towards him. He didn't want to imagine her and her anger anymore – with a smirk, he remembered her hatred towards James Potter at first – so he stood up to leave.

He apparated to the front door and quietly entered the house. He slowly took his cloak off, hanging it securely in the closet, and headed into the kitchen. Severus made a pit stop by the sitting room to get a glass of Firewhiskey, downed it and sidled into the bedroom. He silently took his shoes off, changed into pajamas – looking back, he believed that the Firewhiskey had deluded him into thinking that she wouldn't have been able to see through the dark if she had woken up – and slipped into the bed. The first thing that he noticed was that the bed was quite cold, which was alarming because Ophelia generated enough body heat to warm it up for the both of them. Shrugging it off – again, he blamed the Firewhiskey – he murmured a warming spell and laid back. With the encouragement of the alcohol, he sought out her hand. He wanted the comfort of her warm body, without crossing any line that they hadn't disregarded before. Severus' hand searched, but he just couldn't find her hand: he reached further, but couldn't feel anything. With that, he immediately sat up and grunted _'lumos'. _He was shocked and alarmed to find the space next to him empty.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer; I wish that I owned Harry Potter. I would be rich and I would've done the 5th movie a lot differently..

Note; Geez. I'm sorry for not updating sooner. Long story short, I've been incredibly busy and haven't had the time or the motivation to write. I'm quite sorry for the wait, but am happy to present this chapter to you now. I would also like to put out there, that I do realize that Snape is out of character, but he's a hard character to portray; he's a very complicated man with many layers of emotions. So for that, I would also like to apologize. If anyone has any pointers, I'd happily take all the help that I can get. :] Anyways, please enjoy!

P.S. Happy belated Valentine's Day! :]

* * *

**Some Growing Up Needs To Be Done**

Severus frantically searched the house, racing through each room. After the fruitless search, he began calling her name. His voice was strained, worried and frantic. The only thoughts running through his slightly inebriated mind was that the Death Eaters had found her. He finally broke down on the porch, images of her mangled body flying into his head. Her lifeless eyes staring him down, blaming him for not protecting her in her silence. She would join the inferi guarding the horcrux locket, and his unborn child would most likely still be in her womb. Unwanted tears came to his eyes, and, despite the confusing emotions, he let them go. He was heartbroken and couldn't help himself. This was the third woman that he was unable to save from himself; the first being his mother, the second being Lily and now Ophelia. The renewed feelings of helplessness flooded him, and his misery multiplied tenfold. He would always miss his mother, but he knew that she was in a much better place now. Lily normally flitted in and out of his mind at least once a day, but he had started to notice that it was happening less and less. In his drunken state, he wasn't able to stop himself from thinking that it was Ophelia's presence was keeping her ghost away. Their time together seemed meaningless, considering that they barely spoke about anything but school or other neutral subjects, but he would miss her calming company regardless. He continued to quietly sob on the porch, missing the light amount of smoke coming from the beach.

* * *

Ophelia was startled awake by what she thought was a dying dog. Although she didn't know it yet, it had been Severus' first, heart-wrenching sob that had woken her up. Her neck was cramped from the awkward angle she had slept in, but she ignored it as best as she could to go check out the strange noise. She properly extinguished the fire before slowly waddling towards the house, which is where the sound seemed to come from. She was only mildly aware of how late it had gotten while she dozed off, but was too tired to really think much about it. She had just stumble onto grassy area in front of the house when she had seen a dark, shaking figure on the porch. She rushed forward, suddenly awake and aware of what was going on.

As she stepped onto the first step, she realized that it was not an animal that she had heard, it was Severus. "Severus!" She called to get his attention, shocked at this random display of emotions, and curious – but a little scared – to find out what had caused it. She knelt down next to him, trying to urge him to look at her. "Severus, what happened? What's wrong?"

Severus was startled to see Ophelia standing right in front of him. His immediate thought had been that she was another ghost to haunt him, like Lily occasionally had, but when she knelt next to him he realized that she was actually there. He pulled her into his arms, breathing in her scent and squeezing as hard as he possibly dared. Ophelia was bewildered, but let him clutch at her desperately anyway, but tried to figure out what was wrong. She asked him once more, pulling away slightly to look him in the eye, "What's wrong, Severus?"

"I-I.. thought that you were dead," Severus slurred. Ophelia rolled her eyes, now realizing that he was drunk – he reeked of alcohol.

Murmuring to get him up and inside the house, she pulled him onto his feet. He leaned somewhat heavily onto her as they stumbled into the bedroom, and she deposited him onto the bed. Ophelia wanted to go get a potion to sober him up or put him to sleep, but he would not let her go. He kept slurring something about 'not losing her again', which she could only assume had something to do with him thinking that she was dead. She finally just stopped him, "Severus!" He went quite, but was staring directly at her, waiting for her to talk. She smoothed his hair out of his face and spoke in a soothing tone, "I'm just going to get a potion and I will be right back, I promise."

He seemed to understand, and, with a little hesitation, let her go. She went into what he had called his 'laboratory' and searched his stores for the potion that she needed. In her search, she found a sleeping draught and pulled that out, too. She wanted him to sober up, but she also wanted to put him to bed as quickly as she could. She didn't know Severus very well, it didn't take much knowledge, however, to realize that he did not like showing emotions and to guess that he would be thoroughly embarrassed when he sobered up. Ophelia made a side trip to the kitchen for a glass of water, knowing that that would help wash the potions down. When she came back into the sitting room, he had his eyes closed. Waddling as silently as she could, she pulled the blankets over him and sat down by his side. He had opened his eyes once more, but she could tell that he was struggling to keep them open. "I have a sleeping draught or I have a sobering up potion, Sev, which would you like to take?" She asked as she smoothed his hair away once more.

He was shocked at her little nickname, but he did not linger on it. He had sobered up just a bit while she fetched the potions, and had felt beyond humiliated. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sat up slowly, murmuring, "Sleep." She handed him the correct bottle, waited for him to drink it, then handed him the water. Severus had felt the potion work almost immediately and he was grateful, because he was ashamed of what had happened. He didn't want to face Ophelia, who had found him on the porch, wallowing in self hatred. She tucked him in once more and put out the lights, leaving him in darkness which lead to sleep.

* * *

Severus Snape woke up with a raging headache. He cursed his internal alarm clock that forced him awake at six am and tried to will the headache away, but even he didn't have a strong enough mind to do so. He slowly got up, used the restroom and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. He passed the sitting room and happened to notice Ophelia sleeping on one of the couches. With an acute amount of embarrassment, he remembered what happened the night before. His face flushed scarlet, and he moved his sight down to her belly – which had an arm wrapped around it protectively. He was surprised to have a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach at the sight of his unborn child in her belly. He forced himself to look away and headed into the kitchen. He put the kettle on before heading into his lab to get a hangover cure-all.

The more that he thought about what happened last night, the angrier he became. Not just at himself, but with Ophelia. She had scared the life out of him, and had caused him to make a fool of himself. He had been drunk, true, but she had disappeared and, in these dark times, he had imagined the worse. Then, she had babied him with the potions and even tucking him in. He sneered at the thought. Ophelia also had the gall to sleep on the couch in her condition; the uncomfortable couch, without even transfiguring it! What if this causes her further back pains? What if it causes the baby to shift into a bad place in her womb? How could she be so daft! He was so caught up in his internal ramblings that he didn't notice her waddle into the doorway.

Ophelia could feel the storm brewing that was known as Severus. She stood silently in the doorway, waiting for him to turn around. She had no intention of pushing for what happened last night, but mostly because she was tired and partly because she was sick of her questions being dismissed. He would explain in his own time if he wanted her to know. When he did turn and meet her lighter eyes, she couldn't help but give an obligatory smile and greet him, "Good morning." He ignored her with a sneer, but she continued anyway, "Are we going to talk about what happened last night, or would you prefer that I just forget about it?"

He stiffened at the mention of last night, his hopes shattered that she would just forget, despite his anger. His shoulders slumped forward and he turned back to his tea. His voice was gruff, but she couldn't miss the cold, angry tone. "Talk about what?" he began. "How you scared me to near death? How you jeopardized the baby's safety by sleeping on the couch last night?"

Her eyes burned into the back of his head, and she wanted nothing more than to hex his back. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions in check. Ophelia didn't want to fight with him, but she wasn't going to let him treat her like this. He had no right to shift the entire blame onto her, especially when it was an honest accident that might not have happened if he hadn't have been drunk. She also wasn't going to feel bad for sleeping on the couch. It might have been uncomfortable, but she had stayed on her back all night and had gotten very little sleep in doing so. When he had left for Hogwarts once more, he had been angry; so she didn't think that he wanted her in the bed with him. So, despite the grumpy thoughts running through her head, she took one more deep breath before she spoke calmly, "Severus, when you grow up and calm down, we can talk about this. Until then, however, I don't want to see or hear from you." She turned away from him and headed to the bedroom mumbling to herself, "And I thought that I was the hormonal teenage girl.."


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer; I only own Ophelia and Ella. Nothing else, unfortunately.

Note; I did not leave my bed today except to get food/beverages and go to the bathroom. :] I actually wanted to continue writing and not leave it where I did, but my desire to produce an update over-ruled my desire for a longer chapter. I also really enjoy the reviews that I'm getting and I really appreciate it. I like hearing everyone's opinions. Anywho, please enjoy! :]

* * *

**A Foot Messaging Device**

Ophelia hadn't seen Severus in several days. She assumed that he had been sleeping at the school, because he hadn't stepped foot on the island since he left. Despite their fight, though, she had started to miss him. Even if they barely had meaningful conversations, she was lonely without him. Ella wasn't much for conversation – in her defense, though, she did try – and so Ophelia was left with books. She had contemplated visiting, and even using the ring, but had settled on sending him a letter. The visit was just too dangerous, and using the ring to lure him home would only anger him further. So, here she was, sitting at the desk in the library with a quill poised for writing, but she was having a hard time thinking of how to start. Her first thought was to apologize, but she wasn't sorry for sticking up for herself. So, she had just decided to blurt it all out.

_Headmaster Severus Snape,_

_I've been worried about you, so I thought that I would write to you. If you're expecting or  
waiting for an apology, you might as well stop now. I'm not apologizing for sticking up for  
myself, nor am I going to beg for forgiveness because it was an accident. However,  
I do intend to tell you what happened._

_I was sitting on the porch, watching the sunset over the water, when I decided to sit  
on the beach with a fire. It was getting dark, but the view was so nice that I  
wanted to stay for a little longer. I was thinking about the baby, Severus. What kind  
of life she will live, what I want to do with my life, etc. I was also thinking of names  
for her; how does Quintessa Aleda or Tegan Eileen sound? I was also trying to decide  
how to tell you that it's a girl. I've been having dreams of a little black haired girl  
terrorizing us, and I can hardly wait. I happened to fall asleep while thinking out there,  
and was woken up by you when you came outside on the porch._

_Since you haven't come back, I just to share my side of the story and let you know that I  
won't ask what happened. I didn't mean to start a fight by any means, I just won't let you  
treat me like a student anymore. We're two adults in this predicament and we're equals.  
If we can't treat each other as such, then this is going to be a very difficult relationship._

_Sincerely,  
Ophelia_

_P.S. I'm probably going to regret mentioning this later, but the house is lonely without  
you around.. I miss your company._

She sighed and put the quill back in the ink pot. What was she doing? He's going to think that she's an idiot. Ophelia charmed the letter to read like a concerned parent to others, then sealed it and she gave it to Bernie anyway. The owl gracefully flew away, leaving a mildly nervous Ophelia behind. She tried to get her mind off of the letter, so she called to Ella. When the house elf 'popped' into the library, she was given a simple order. "Will you please go find some sort of massaging device for my feet? I want you to come back and tell me what you've found, and then we'll have to get Severus to give us the money to get it. Do you understand?" After Ella nodded, her over sized ears flopping around, Ophelia smiled and sent her on the way. With a sigh, she headed back to the comfortable couch and resumed her reading.

* * *

Severus had received the letter that Ophelia had sent him, but, as advised in the second sentence, promptly put the letter down. She should be groveling for his forgiveness, and he wasn't quite ready to give it. She had not only humiliated him, but she had also insulted him. He was a very rational adult, and he prided himself on his ability to be practically emotionless. With a sneer, he threw the letter aside and downed the rest of the Firewhiskey, which he seemed to always have on hand nowadays. He leaned back in his comfortable chair and continued to mull over the situation. Ophelia was a child, and she didn't know what she was talking about. He poured himself another drink before heading into the adjoining bedroom to go to sleep.

* * *

It took Ella a week to complete the first part of her task, then 'pop' back into the library to find Ophelia napping with her book in her lap. The little house elf snapped her fingers to reposition the pregnant woman more comfortably. The elf had grown fond of Ophelia, in her own way. She was kind to her, always asking for things instead of ordering her around. She was saddened, however, when she watched how the new headmaster treated her. Ella didn't dwell on the thoughts anymore because it was almost time for dinner at Hogwarts and she was needed there. She would tell the headmaster after dinner, and he could it for her. With an elfish grin, she disapperated back to Hogwarts to begin preparation for dinner.

When she entered the headmaster's office, she found him lounging on the sofa. He had a glass in his hand, and was staring deeply into the fire. Ella was hesitant to bring his attention to her, but she knew that she needed to. "Headmaster Snape?" she squeaked out. When his head spun around to glare at her, she yelped.

"What?" he hissed at the cowering house elf.

"Mistress Reynolds needs this," she produced a torn picture for him, "for her feets, sir." She watched his eyes sweep over the picture. When he did not respond, she explained, "Her feets are hurting more now that the babe is growing bigger and bigger."

He started to reach for the money in his pocket, but stopped himself to wave the elf away. He had had a thought. Severus wanted to go home almost more than anything, but his pride wouldn't let him. Over the week, he had forgotten about the letter, but he had just remembered. He summoned the letter and began to read it. When he was done, he wanted to slap himself. The letter explained everything that he wanted to know and more, and if he wasn't so pig headed he would've been home earlier. If he was honest with himself, he missed her company and sleeping in the bed with her. Also, the bed in the room that was connected to his office was hard and uncomfortable. With a sigh, he stood and moved closer to the fire.

How could he have been so cruel? It wasn't her fault that she had fallen asleep, and he had been quite drunk. He looked at the drink in his hand, and began to wonder when he had started to drink so much. He was having more than three glasses of Firewhiskey a day, now, which was almost three times more than he had had a week, six months ago. He vanished the rest and went to his potion stores. He needed to sober up, so he downed two different potions and sat down to finish his paperwork. If he hurried, he could make it back home before she went to bed and apologize to her.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer; I only own Ella and Ophelia, unfortunately.

Note: Wow. I didn't mean for it to take so long. I was just having a hard time finding time to write.. then I got addicted to True Blood. :D I love it. Anywho, I hope that you all enjoy, and that you let me know what you think. I kinda want to know if this is a lost cause, or something that I can do to improve it. However, I'm not threatening to not update without reviews. That's dumb and childish. Enjoy, now! :]

* * *

**Decisions, Decisions..**

Ophelia had just gotten back from her hike through the surrounding forest. She entered the kitchen and, after re-hydrating, she promptly threw away the note on the table. When she was getting ready for her hike, she had been day dreaming about Severus returning and through this day dream she realized that if he came home and couldn't find her once more, he'd be furious. So she had had the foresight to write a note that explained where she was, and then charmed it to glow – just in case she got back after dark. After the note was disposed of, she quickly made a sandwich, devoured it and looked for something to do.

After wandering through the library, feeling bored from reading by the mere thought, she moved to the bedroom. She laid down, for but a moment, when a thought hit her. She hadn't tried the tub out yet, and now was as good of time as any because of her aching back and legs. She started the bath water, adding bubbles smelling of lavender to the mix, and let it run while she fetched the radio and some candles. She began hand lighting the candles and placing them around the bathroom, illuminating the bathroom beautifully. Ophelia then placed the radio on the counter and turned it on: she charmed the radio to play some of her favorites and turned back to the water. It was almost done, so she quickly waddled to get two fresh towels and hurried back. The water was almost scalding hot as she slowly lowered herself in, but she could feel her muscles relax as they entered the water. The music was quiet, but loud enough for her to hear. Paramore was pulling her thoughts in a certain direction as she softly sung along with the lyrics. "Oh star, fall down on me: let me make a wish upon you. Hold on, let me think think of what I'm wishing for.." she trailed off. What did she wish for? Obviously she wished for the end to the war, just like everyone else. She was unable to think of what she personally wished for, though. She got her hair wet, and stared at the ceiling.

Her first decision was somewhat easy: she wanted a healthy, happy baby and she wanted Severus to help her decide on a name for their child. The second decision was only half as easy: she wanted to own and operate her own apothecary. She had always loved potions, and this would give her the best opportunity to not only brew potions, but to help people that were not as skilled as she. She was then thinking about her personal life. She was mildly afraid that she was going to be alone, now that she was going to have a child. However, she could accept this, because she knew that she did not need a man to be happy. So, if she ignored her fears, what did she truly want in a man? He definitely had to be intelligent, and mature: she had a hard time dealing with the immature boys she went to school with. Ophelia wasn't picky about how he looked, other than that he had to be taller than her. She didn't need an extremely tan or athletic man, but almost preferred a quiet and indoors-y types. She wished that he would be as interested in potions, and the complexity of it as she was, because she wanted him to help her around the apothecary.

Ophelia began thinking of several men that could fit her wishes thus far, give or take a few qualities; Neville Longbottom, Ian Franks.. She was having a hard time thinking of many others, so she widened her thinking to those who hadn't gone to school with her. A muggle boy by the name of Tyson James, but she wouldn't be able to explain the child and where she had disappeared to without revealing the secret world of wizards. Professor Lupin was definitely attractive and intelligent, she giggled to herself. If he's in the running, then the only other single professor should be as well, she thought. Ophelia was struck by that thought: _Severus Snape. _She knew that she shouldn't even consider it, but it wasn't like the line hadn't already been crossed. He was kinder, and more gentle than she had ever imagined, and he was obviously a genius – especially with potions! Most of her friends at school tend to think of him as a hideous bat, but she had always thought of him as just a unique man. Ophelia did not mind his lanky, greasy looking hair because she knew that potion fumes were the cause; he did have a rather large nose, but it fit his face and any other nose would look ridiculous. If she was blunt with herself, she knew that she was attracted to him on more than a physical or mental level, and this realization caused her to blush. She sunk down into the bubbles, trying to think of what she should do with this new bit of information.

* * *

Severus apparated onto the island with a bouquet of purple hyacinth, white asphodels, and white gardenias. He had tried to remember the meanings of the flowers, as to not send the wrong message – he had first contemplated roses, but knew that that was not what he was looking for. There were no lights on, and – ignoring his immediate fear that he couldn't find her again – he was fairly certain that she was already asleep. He quietly found a vase, filled it with water and placed the flowers inside before carrying them up to the darkened room. As he entered the room, he heard music coming from the bathroom, which was an oddity and a hint that maybe she wasn't asleep. With renewed hope, he knocked on the door quietly.. with no response.

He gently opened the door, knocking as he did so, and found Ophelia soaking in the tub. Her hair was piled on top of her head, her feet were propped up on the edge of the bath tub, and the bubbles limited his view of everything else. Severus was having a hard time not gawking, but stopped himself and walked around to stand in front of her. Her eyes were closed, so he spoke very softly to rouse her, "Ophelia?"

She jumped slightly, not expecting him to be home at all. Her eyes widened, and she made to stand up, sloshing the water around. He told her to stop, "Wait! You're fine, I'll pull up a chair and you can continue your soak." She stopped as he went to find a chair; she was mildly dumbfounded and a little self conscious that the bubbles might not be fully covering her. Ophelia grabbed her wand, reheated the water and added more bubbles. By the time that he came back, she felt more comfortable and had even turned the music off so that they could talk. He set the chair close to the end of the tub; close enough lean forward and touch the water. Severus began to unbutton his sleeves and roll them up past his elbows.

"Severus?" Her voice was soft, and he almost missed it. He ceased all movement, other than to look into her timid eyes, and waited for Ophelia to continue. She looked away, seemingly embarrassed at about what she wanted to say, "Severus, I'm glad that you're back." She smiled softly, knowing that he wasn't going to outright apologize.

He nodded and then continued his slow work. When he was done, he reached into the warm water and grabbed one of her left foot. She squeaked, surprised by his action, but merely watched as he began to rub her sore feet. She tilted her head back and tried to stifle moans, because he was definitely good with his hands with many things. Severus ignored the dirty thoughts running because of the moans, and explained himself. His voice was mildly soft, for Severus anyway, "Ella conveyed to me that your feet hurt, and I thought that this would be the easiest way for me to apologize."

Ophelia asked Severus how his day went, and then what he had been up to while he had been staying at the school. That conversation had dwindled by the time he had switched to her other foot, and he had begun to ask her similar. She answered in between groans, but was starting to get really tired. She had been in there for roughly and hour, and the massage was only making it easier for her to doze. The minute that he had notice her eyes starting to droop, he hurried up with the massage. He stood, and grabbed her hands, helping her stand up in the bath tub. He wrapped a warm, fluffy towel around her slightly shivering body, trying not to glance downwards at the perky breasts with hardened nipples – and he just _knew _that they were hard. No, now was not the time, he thought to himself. He laid her down on the bed, laying her on her side, and turned away to change into pajamas. The flannel pajamas were comfortable, but the real comfort was laying next to Ophelia's warm body and especially when she turned around to curl up into his side.

They knew, deep in the back of their minds, that this was another line that they were crossing, but they were happy to have their little peaceful lives back to the way that they were. Severus laid a large hand on her belly, placed a soft kiss on her forehead and allowed himself to fall asleep. Ophelia was exhausted, and on the brink of sleep, but she was still awake for a moment longer. She re-thought the last decision that she had made a while before Severus came home, and snuggled closer to the father of her baby.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer; I do not own anything, nor do I profit from this story.. unless you count the happiness it provides. :]

Note; Geez.. I feel like a butthead. Sorry for the long wait.. I've been thoroughly sucked into True Blood/The Sookie Stackhouse series. I also apologize for the confusion of the last note. I wasn't meaning that I'd stop writing the story by any means, I just wanted to know if my story was losing it's gusto and would just turn into an overall lame story.. or if I was still on the right track of writing an awesome story. So, let me know what you think, if you want, and it will encourage me to put out another chapter quicker. :]

P.S. Oh! I'm also sorry for the shorter chapter, but I felt bad for the terribly long wait and wanted to update sooner with a shorter chapter rather than later with a longer chapter. :]

P.P.S I tried to post this several days ago, but fanfiction is being stupid. So I'm sorry for the even longer delay. :[

* * *

**Unexpected Affections**

Severus awoke early the next morning with his armed comfortably wrapped around Ophelia, who had shifted in her sleep. They were spooning – even though he would deny knowing the terminology later – and the warmth of her body was one of the best things that he had felt in a long time. He carefully lifted his hand to move the hair out of her face, and openly stared. Ophelia was beautiful, even though she was so young. The shade of her hair reminded him of Lily's, but it was a much lighter shade with a little brown mixed in. He watched the rise and fall of her chest for a moment, and then his gaze lower to her belly. His child was inside that womb, and he surprised himself by being excited to see his little girl grow up to be one of the best witches of her age.

His large hand moved to cover her belly, and he could have worn that he felt the baby kick. He jumped slightly, causing Ophelia to stir awake. Her eyelids revealed sharp gray eyes, and, upon seeing seeing Severus watching her, smiled. She stretched, groaning slightly as she did, and then turned to face him. She moved towards him, snuggling back up to his side as she murmured, "Good morning, Severus."

"Morning, Ophelia. How did you sleep?" His voice was relaxed, and tired but not uncommon since she had come to live with him. Her fingers trailed softly up and down his chest, leaving goosebumps as she went.

"Mmm." Was all she replied with, but she was smiling. Her eyes closed once more, and Severus had half expected her to be asleep again. He was still admiring her looks, surprised by how she had seemed to grow up in the last months. Her eyes held a maturity that he hadn't seen in anyone that was young enough to attend Hogwarts in a long time. Ophelia was almost glowing, and maybe it was because she seemed to be quite happy at the moment, but it was almost contagious. Just looking at her overwhelming happiness made him want to smile, which was so completely opposite to his norm. "I hope that I haven't made you uncomfortable, Severus," her voice startled him. She was just reveling in his warmth, and was oblivious to his stare and train of thought. She slowly sat up, and looked at her former professor straight in the eyes. He shook his head, and she spoke again, "Isn't it weird, though? The whole situation, I mean."

Severus couldn't continue looking into her eyes, so he stared at the blankets covering their bodies. He could hardly begin describing his feelings at the moment! Anger, shame, desire, happiness... everything was so mixed together that he didn't understand. He nodded, but decided to change the subject immediately. "I must be going back to the school, but I will be coming back home tonight," his voice was no louder than a murmur. He paused, pondering that he now considering this home, but until this moment he had always considered Hogwarts his home. His face softened into what Ophelia could consider a smile, "If you'll have me."

"Oh! I would love it if you came back!" she grinned at him. She slowly sat up and stated that she needed to use the restroom, but would cook breakfast immediately after.

* * *

Ophelia reminisced those mornings events , as she was resting on one of her walks. She had taken this walk earlier on in the day than she had been over the last several weeks, but that was because she and Severus actually had plans for once. It had been a couple months since that morning, and their relationship had been much better. They had settled into a routine; he would come home around 10 pm, Ophelia would have a cup of tea with him and then they'd go to sleep. Their morning breakfast was quite early the next day, but she was happy to cook for him before he left. The weekends were different, however, and they were a treat for her: Severus would make breakfast for her – often delivering it to her in bed – and they would just relax until he was needed at the school.

Even though their relationship had drastically changed for the better, they hadn't spoken much of it. Ophelia's last decision had been that she would, at the very least, tell Severus of her feelings for him, but to try to get him to love her, just as she loved him. So she had been constantly contemplating their relationship, and was watching it grow. One thing that she had noticed, was that he always avoided talking about his past but would constantly ask her about hers. She assumed that he was ashamed and afraid that if he shared the story, she would hate and runaway from him. This complicated things just a bit, because that made it harder to coax him to love her.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she came back into the clearing that the house was settled in. She grinned, starting to waddle a little quicker to freshen up before Severus came home. They were going to be magically adding another room to the house. The addition itself was going to be fairly easy, but they were also going to be decorating the room. Ophelia was excited because this meant that the birth was getting closer, and that raven haired vixen in her womb would have the perfect room to grow up in. As she finished freshening up, she heard Severus enter the kitchen. She called to him from the bedroom, "Severus! I'm in here!"

Severus smiled, genuinely smiled, as he hung up his cloak and went to her. He had had a long day at the school, and was looking forward to remodeling his new home. After exchanging the normal greetings, she excitedly laced her fingers with his and pulled him outside to start. They're hands were still linked as Severus muttered the incantations to stretch the roof and allow another room to form underneath. This process may have only taken fifteen minutes or so, but Severus couldn't help feel her hand entwined with his every moment. Once the rebuilding was done, she rushed him back inside to redecorate. Ophelia stopped short of doorway in awe, admiring his work, and he stood right behind her. Their bodies were touching, and Severus subconsciously leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "Do you like it?"

There was a large closet to the right of the entrance, but Ophelia wouldn't be surprised if Severus would need to enlarge it later on as their daughter became a teenager. The window gave a gorgeous view of the deep blue ocean and allowed an even better view of the sunset. Ophelia turned her steel gray eyes to meet his deep, dark eyes. "Oh, Sev! It's perfect! She's going to love it," she exclaimed with a bright grin. Fighting the urge to lean in and kiss Ophelia was impossible, and Severus loved the way that her soft pink lips molded to his, and was only slightly surprised to feel her smile into the small kiss. His smile was smaller, but no less genuine.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer; Unfortunately I'm poor and getting poorer.. So obviously I don't own the rights to much of what you recognize.

Note; So.. I have some bad news. :/ I'm losing my job, so I have to cut back on certain unnecessary expenses.. one of which might be internet. So updates will take longer, but I have not ceased the creation of this story; I just no longer have as many opportunities. I apologize, it's an unfortunate situation in which I have to quit my job.. Anywho, this update was kind of rushed in an effort to explain the situation I'm in and also update sooner. So enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

**The Birth**

The next few months went by somewhat uneventfully, excluding the shopping trip to get clothes and the supplies for the baby. Severus had found a 'baby safe' spell to alter Ophelia's appearance before taking polyjuice potion to alter his own. They traveled to a wizarding market and spent several hours shopping for the necessities. They dropped what felt like half of Severus' bank account on baby bottles, a crib, a rocking chair, clothes, diapers, etc. Only one incident had occurred while they were away; the spell on Ophelia had started to fade, but Severus had managed to pull her aside and hurriedly mumble the spell before anyone was the wiser. After two hours of shopping, Severus apparated them home and set to making them some tea. They sipped on tea while he began to massage Ophelia's aching feet. Once they had felt rested, the pair had quickly set to work setting the up the baby's room even further. They had chatted whilst doing so, and Ophelia liked to believe that it was an enlightening conversation.

"Severus," Ophelia's voice was soft, and hesitant. "I was just wondering.."

Severus fought to roll his eyes, and urged her as nicely as he could manage, "What were you wondering, my dear?"

She had to think about how she wanted to phrase it, as to not upset him. She down in her rocking chair, motioning for him to sit on the foot rest in front of her. She timidly stared at her knees when she spoke once more, "When we last spoke about the outcome of the war and what will happen afterward, I got the impression that you didn't want to survive." She glanced at him, trying to gauge his carefully guarded reaction. "And I was just wondering if that was true."

Severus was shocked: no one had been able to read him so well. He was as still as a stone, but his mind was racing. Admittedly, he hadn't been thinking about that lately, but it was as good time as any to do so. Ophelia was carrying what would most likely be his only child, and he had enjoyed the distraction that her pregnancy had brought. He had been fighting with several Gryffindor students who were intent on being their stupidly, brave selves, but once he apparated onto the island.. it was like nothing else existed. The escape that Ophelia provided him had given him a small level of happiness, and he didn't want that to end. Plus, the more that he got the house ready for the baby, the more excited he was to see his own daughter. On the other hand – as much as he wanted to ignore it – the plan that he had constructed with Dumbledore could go either way and was most likely going to end terribly.

Throughout his internal debate, Ophelia waited patiently, knowing that it was hard for him to share his feelings. He looked up into her eyes, and knew that he would do anything to return to those eyes one the battle was over. His voice was strained, almost as if it physically pained him to express himself, "Ophelia, you're an intelligent woman who had grown immensely in the last year. You were quite astute with your impression. However, I think that it's safe to say that you have changed that desire." Severus shut his eyes tightly, trying to gather up more courage to tell her how he felt. She leaned over and placed a comforting hand on his pale, worn hands hoping to encourage him. Somehow he found the strength once more, "This house has been as escape, and I will do everything in my power to return to you and our daughter."

Her eyes started watering, but she blinked them away furiously. She smiled brightly, and gripped his hands tighter, "I don't know if I could do this without you, and I appreciate everything that you've done for me." Severus smiled, feeling an unfamiliar warmth settle in his chest as she continued, "I would be devastated if you didn't return, so please, please Severus, let me know if there's anything I can do to help." Ophelia admired his small smile, deciding to try to make him smile more often.

* * *

At the beginning of April, Ophelia had been cleaning up the house with Ella – preparations for the healers to come – when she had her first contraction. It was a small contraction, but both of the healers agreed that she needed to be on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. Ophelia had a lot of time to think and examine her surroundings. She hadn't divulged any information to the two strangers, but she had weeded out a little of their story. The blonde healer, Healer Todd, had a wife, but had decided against kids for a couple years. The taller, brunette, Healer Prewett, was a distant cousin to the Weasley's, but was single for the time being. The two healers took the Unbreakable Vow to never reveal the location of the island, nor for whom they came to work for. Despite Ophelia's objections, the two healers were staying inside of a tent right outside of the house, and kept to themselves until the delivery grew nearer.

Severus was spending less and less time at home, much to his dismay, because the Carrows were creating enough problems to rival the Potter males. He waited for his ring to heat up, to tell him that his daughter was coming, but was unable to visit her. She was distracted with the pains, true, but she couldn't help but miss his comforting presence. Ella had been a major help in entertaining Ophelia, and she was quite grateful, and the elf had made sure that the healers were well fed and comfortable. The elf was teaching the pregnant woman how to knit, and they began making blankets, scarves and sweaters galore. Ophelia had made three blankets specifically for her little family; a deep green and black one for Severus, a blue and gray one for herself, and small blue and green one for the baby.

Ophelia was starting on a sweater for herself when she went into labor at 11 pm, April 16, 1998. She immediately screamed for Severus, who had been reading in the study, and he immediately ran to her side. He ordered the house elf to fetch the healers, before sitting down on the bed next to Ophelia. She gripped his hand as if her life depended on it, and screamed as another contraction hit. The healers rushed in and quickly set to work undressing her, and getting her into position. One healer, the blonde, handed Severus a potion to coax Ophelia to drink. The potion only took a few minutes to kick in, but it didn't completely numb the pain. The soothing words giving directions were hurried, but Ophelia was able to push with the contractions.

* * *

Seven hours later, roughly 6 am April 17, 1998, a beautiful baby girl was wrapped in the blue and green blanket and eagerly suckling away at Ophelia's breast. The black hair was sparse, but there was no denying that it took after her father's. Her defined cheek bones were Severus' as well, but everything else was her mother's. Severus was laying next to his girls, gently caressing his daughter's head; Ophelia was staring lovingly down, but she had laced her fingers with his and was caressing the back of his hand with her thumb. The healers were back out in the tent, content to just check up on her every couple of hours or so, and they would be leaving later that evening if all was well. Ella had nearly had a fit trying to help out, so Severus sent her to warm up some milk for Ophelia. So they were alone, and admiring their daughter in silence.

Ophelia finally looked away from their bundle of joy, "Severus," she murmured tiredly. "We never decided on a name."

Severus had forgotten to tell her after he had received the letter, but it's better late than never. He placed a feather-light kiss on Ophelia's head before responding just as quietly, "It's not common knowledge that my mother's name was Eileen, and I was extremely surprised, and touched, that you had thought of it." He paused, looking into her eyes with a small smile, "I would be honored if you named her Tegan Eileen Snape."

"I'd love to, Sev. She's ours.." Ophelia's eyes had teared up out of joy, but she was letting them fall freely. She smiled at her former professor and mumbled sleepily, "She's our baby girl."

Ophelia was almost asleep when she felt Severus kiss both of their heads, and mumble to himself, "My girls.." He took the baby from her tit, swaddled her back up and laid her down to sleep in the crib next to the bed. He climbed in next to Ophelia and brought her closer to himself to cuddle, he was quickly lulled to sleep after an exhausting night.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer; I am merely borrowing J.K. Rowling's characters to write a nonprofit story. :]

Note; Guys! This is my longest chapter yet! I was quite ecstatic with myself, thank you. Anyway, let me know what you think but please enjoy. :]

**P.S. Oh! There is an explicit scene, but it's separated out. I've written it so that the delicious smut isn't necessary to the story, so you can skip past it if you'd like. You'll know it when you see it.**

* * *

**The Calm Before the Storm**

Severus was using every ounce of his will power to not start ripping his hair out and disappear back to his island. His face was stony as he stared down his nose at the Gryffindor students in front of him, and he was only getting angrier. Although he did despise the members of that particular house, he was furious that he had to continue to punish them for trying to do the right thing. He watched as the _child _Neville Longbottom fought tirelessly to obtain the sword of Godric Gryffindor, and stand up to the Carrows for the younger students. Longbottom, however, was finally at a dead end; there was nothing that he could do but run from the school. Severus knew that he needed to somehow hint to the boy that he should go back to the Room of Requirement, but it was going to be hard. He turned his attention back to Amycus, who was ranting about the boy for some reason or other, and silenced him with a raised hand. "This is one of the children that participated in _Dumbledore's Army _two years ago, and I will see to it that he is punished for the _last _time," he sneered, but was relieved to notice the sparkle of an idea in the boy's eyes.

He dismissed the Death Eater and started marching the boy out of his office, pausing only to turn and leave a message with his gargoyle. When Severus turned around once more, he only glimpsed the hem of his robes as he rounded a corner in a sprint. He would've smiled if he were anyone else, but he only nodded grimly and set to alert the siblings that the boy had escaped. It would raise suspicion if he did not report the boy missing to the Death Eaters, so he could only hope that he was smart enough to stay hidden.

When he returned to his rarely used chambers, Severus poured himself a glass of Firewhiskey and thought of his island. Ophelia was home with Tegan, and he would give anything to be there with them. He had told the young mother that as it gets closer to the end of the school year, he was going to be home less and less. He missed her, and he wished that he could spend time with his child, but in order to keep them safe, he needed to stay away. Severus wondered if he should send someone to protect her: Ophelia wasn't going to be able protect the baby, Ella and herself. However, he couldn't think of anyone that he could send, and decided to think on it later. The fire was unnecessary, but it gave him something to stare at while his thoughts wandered aimlessly.

* * *

Ophelia had hardly left her daughter's side for the last several days, but Ella had finally shoved her into the bathroom and ran her a bath. The water was scalding hot, but it felt good on her tired muscles. If she was honest with herself, a big part of why she didn't want to leave Tegan's side was because she was so enthralled that she was unable to think about anything or anyone else. Ophelia was having a hard time without Severus around. She needed him to hold her hand, as he did through the birthing, and she needed his to give her another massage. With a sigh, she lifted her wand and lazily flicked it to turn on the radio an listen to some soft music. Ophelia couldn't help but notice that she had been a lot happier since she admit her feelings for her former Potions Professor. The decision to show her feelings for him was a little scary for her, but, to her relief, he seemed to accept her advances thus far and even mildly return them.

Ophelia had never been in love, but she could tell that her feelings for Severus were quickly growing towards it. The guys that she had dated before had only lasted several months before she realized that they only wanted her for her body. She had lost her virginity to one of them, but realized that that was not the lifestyle that she wanted for herself. She didn't have any regrets, but she knew that she would never be able to share such a passionate, sacred act with just any boy again. Just as well, she had gotten over her rape several months prior, but it still stung that something that she valued was stolen from her regardless of the situation. She went back and forth about it, though, because she was relieved that it had been someone that had taken care of her.

A scarlet blush stained her cheeks when she thought of her professor pleasing her first; the 'memory' of Severus' tongue flicking her sensitive nub was a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. She had noticed all through her pregnancy, that the excitement dominated her feelings and had hoped that Severus hadn't recognized her fluster for what it was. Ophelia was sexually aroused, but she didn't know how to seduce her professor. The fantasies that often flashed through her mind had only increased his Tegan's birth, and he was the only man that she fantasized about. She needed to think of a way to seduce her professor, but the only way to really accomplish that was to gauge his response to her. So she formulated a plan to not only get him back home, but to test Severus.

* * *

Severus had been cleaning off his desk of finished paperwork when Ella popped into his office, and he was surprised – although no one would have been able to tell. The house elf had recounted Ophelia's message for him; "I miss you, Sev. It's been weeks since you were last home; come spend a night with 'your girls'." His heart ached – it was a surprised even to himself – and his resolve faltered. He wasn't going to be able to do his 'job' unless he was reassured that his daughter and her mother were well and happy. If he was honest with himself, he was becoming uneasy with the growing tension and the possibility of the war breaking out at any moment. At the beginning of his servitude to Albus Dumbledore, Severus had nothing to live for; no family, no friends and more importantly no Lily. Now, however, he had Ophelia waiting for him at home with their beautiful daughter, and a desire to raise Tegan the way that his father had never raised him. The Headmaster broke out of his thoughts and turned to Ella with a response, "Tell her that I will be home within the hour."

Severus quickly finished with his paperwork before freshening up – although he would never admit to adjusting his appearance just to see a former student. Twenty minutes later, once he was freshened up, he flooed to Spinner's End. He was surprised by his urgency to get home, because he did not even bother to walk through his childhood home as he normally did before apparating to the island. He quietly entered the house, hoping that he didn't disturb the baby in any way. His footsteps were practically silent as he walked to their bedroom and Ophelia must not have heard him. The mother of his daughter, his former student, his young ward.. was stark naked when he walked into the room. She had just pulled out a night gown and had been about to put it on when he had entered, but had seemed to have frozen in place.

He was a male, and he could not help the sweep of his eyes to her body. Severus could feel the blood rushing downward to his groin as he took in the breasts that were still swollen from motherhood. As he moved his eyes downward, his eyes bulged and his lips parted. Ophelia seemed to snap out of it to throw the night gown over her head, but didn't miss the sight of her professor licking his lips, and the subtle shift of his clothing. She blushed, and spun around to hide her triumphant grin: he was clearly effected by her. He cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed by his rude intrusion, and she shyly turned back around. As she turned around, Severus was able to see the apparently flimsy article of clothing she had hastily donned. The night gown was silvery, went to her mid thigh, and was low cut in the front. Although Ophelia was now covered, he could still imagine her naked body.

"I apologize, Ophelia," his voice was rough, "I should have knocked."

She stepped towards Severus, placing a tentative hand on his arm. "I must have misunderstood Ella, but I could have sworn that she said that you'd be home in an hour. But it's okay! It's nothing that you haven't seen before." Her smile disarmed his embarrassment, but only added to is arousal.

They stood like that for what felt like forever, until Severus finally brushed the bangs out of her eyes. Ophelia leaned into him, reveling in the contact, and was surprised to feel him wrap his arms around her. In a moment of panic, he hugged Ophelia to prevent her from seeing his inner turmoil. He wanted her so bad, but didn't want to cross another line with such a young woman. Ophelia leaned to place a chaste kiss on his cheek, just as he turned his head. She hadn't planned this, but she was definitely glad that it had happened and smiled into the kiss. Severus was shocked, partly because he felt her smile, but mostly because he was unable to pull himself away. His eyes shut when she pressed herself further into his body, and as she deepened the kiss. Ophelia stood on her toes for the kiss, but he pushed her backwards onto the bed. He laid her down, and covered her body with his. Their tongues danced, and Severus caressed the soft skin of her arms, face, and neck.

Breaking away with a soft moan, Ophelia found the strength to roll over to be on top, "I hardly think it's fair that I'm scantily clad, but the only visible skin on you is your face and neck." With that, she leaned down and kissed his neck, but she nibbled every so often. The soft growl that came from his throat was the only thing she heard, but he sat up to remove his frock and all but ripped the white shirt that lay beneath it. Immediately, Ophelia's hand roamed his skin and mapped out his body. Her fingers lingered on the hair starting at his belly button, then moved downward to disappear into his trousers.

Rolling her back over, he forced himself to stop and look into her eyes. His voice was smooth, albeit he was barely in control of himself, "Is this what you really want? I don't want to do _that _again.."

"Severus!" Ophelia's brow furrowed, startled that he would even think of it. "I want this more than words can describe, and I've wanted it for quite sometime now." She smoothed the hair away from his face and leaned up to softly kiss him once more: that was the only sign that Severus needed.

* * *

**Successful Seduction**

With renewed urgency, he stood up momentarily remove her night gown. The renewed sight of her left him breathless, but his hands continued to roam. He leaned down to kiss her jawline, moving his lips downwards to her breasts. Severus circled one of her nipples with his deft tongue, and lightly caressed the other one with nimble fingers. Ophelia arched her back, moaning at the new experience. He blew lightly on the dampened nipple, teasing her ever so slightly, before switching his administrations to the other one. It felt wonderful, and she was becoming even more aroused . His hands took over her breasts, massaging them, as he placed feather-light kisses on her ribs and then her hips. Ophelia groaned, obviously sick of the teasing, but bit back any comment that she might have wanted to make. Severus smiled, blowing cool air onto her tender sex, before ever so softly licking her clitoris.

Ophelia gasped in surprise, but it quickly turned into a moan as she writhed to get closer to hid mouth. He moved his hands, wrapping one arm around her leg to hold her where he wanted her and massaging her inner thigh with the other. When she groaned once more, he lightly caressed her folds with one finger. Her loud moan stopped him, suddenly reminding him that the baby was asleep. He pulled away for but a moment to murmur a quick spell of his own creation to muffle their sounds, before returning to his position. Severus slowly pressed a finger into her, starting to suck on her swollen nub. The moan spurred him on, and he started to move quicker after adding another finger. A familiar sensation pooled in Ophelia's abdomen, and suddenly exploded within her. The orgasm rocked her, causing her to arch up and call out to Severus.

Breathless, Ophelia pulled him up for another passionate kiss: she could taste herself, but she was more focused on her professor. His body was pressed entirely against her, and she could tell that he was beyond ready for his release. They switched places, allowing Ophelia to admire Severus' body this time. Although he didn't have bulging muscles, one look at her the man before her was enough to tell that he was toned and could hold his own. She straddled his slender hips, placing lingering kisses on his collar bone. The kisses moved lower down his body, and Ophelia made sure to keep her naked body pressed up against Severus' as much as possible. Severus felt every curve of her body as she slid down, and it produced a moan. When she placed a kiss at the base of his erect penis, he moaned loudly and thrust upward ever so slightly. Her small tongue darted out to lick his throbbing penis, before engulfing it's entire length in her mouth. After several minutes, Severus urged her back up to his mouth: he wanted to be inside of her when he finished.

Ophelia straddled his hips once more, and grabbed his manhood to move it into place. Severus used every ounce of his control not to flip her over and ravage her, and let her begin moving at her own pace. He felt and watched her bob up and down, watching her perky breasts bounce with her. Reaching up, Severus began to massage those breasts and moaned: she started to move faster, and harder. When Ophelia leaned down to kiss him once more, he finally lost the remaining control that he had. He placed his calloused hands on her round hips, thrusting at his own pace, and Ophelia moaned loudly in his ear. She bit down on his neck, stifling yet another moan, when he finally cried out. He yelled her name as he entered her for a final time. They laid there for a moment, catching their breaths, and Ophelia looked into his eyes. She shifted to lay next to him and then curled into his side, feeling happier than she had ever been. Severus drifted off feeling the exact same way.

* * *

Ophelia awoke the next morning when Severus climbed out of bed, and joined him in the shower. After a long shower, she took little Tegan from Ella, who had appeared to feed her her breakfast, and sat down in the kitchen. The night before couldn't have gone any better. Although, she had to admit that she wasn't sure where they stood as far as emotions go, but now she knew that he found her attractive. It was a start, she though to herself with a smile. Ophelia asked the house elf to make some toast when Severus walked down. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that he looked about as happy as she felt. They sat down for toast, having a charming conversation, before Severus hesitantly stood. He said goodbye, gave her a sweet kiss and left back for Hogwarts. Ophelia would remember this day for the rest of her life, because this would be the last day that Severus Tobias Snape would be the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Have I ever told you how tired I am of reminding myself that J.K. Rowling is a better writer than I am? ;]

Note: Wow. Such a dramatic chapter. This story isn't quite over; so expect at least a couple more chapters. I'm stoked, though, because I got a new job and this means that I'll be able to update just a little more. :D So enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!

* * *

**The War Begins, The War Ends**

Ophelia was playing with Tegan later on in the evening when Ella popped back into the house. The elf was frantic, and she was running around calling out unintelligible things. The witch had finally had enough, and ordered her to stand still and calming explain what was going on. Her speech was still a bit rushed, but she calmed down well enough. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named attacked Hogwarts! The headmaster ordered me to make sure that you stayed here! Ella is supposed to be givings you this!" With that, she thrust a small roll of parchment into Ophelia's hands. Shakily unrolling it, she was heartbroken at what she read.

_ My dearest Ophelia,_

_ If you are reading this, then The Dark Lord has officially attacked the school and we are at war.  
Ella is to make sure that you don't do anything that would cause you or our child harm, but I'm  
asking you to stay there and out of harm's way. I have never known happiness until you've  
given me a small slice, and I could only hope that you're able to provide even more for  
Tegan. Please, Ophelia, don't do anything rash._

_ Sincerely yours,_

_ Severus Snape_

Ophelia wept for a good long time, but stopped herself after she heard Tegan whine. She rushed back to her baby and held her close to her heart, like she might never be able to do with Severus again. Ella busied herself through the house so that she was calm, but she often checked on her mistress to follow her orders.

* * *

After Harry Potter left with the truth, Severus laid there on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, in a great amount of pain. The physical pain was almost nothing compared to his emotional pain: he had just found peace, and it was ripped away once more by the choices that have haunted him his entire life. Maybe he just didn't deserve happiness, he thought to himself; he had murdered and raped people, he terrorized his students on a daily basis, and failing his beloved Lily. He turned his head to stare and caught a glimpse of his left hand. The silver ring wrapped around his left ring finger reminded him of his connection with Ophelia, and the spell that would bring her to him. His voice was raspy, and quiet as he whispered into the musty room, "_Pervenio._"

* * *

Tegan had just fallen asleep, and Ophelia tip-toed out of the bed room. Ella had a set up some tea in the library, and that's where she was headed. For the last several hours, Ophelia had been pacing the house waiting for news about Severus. She had finally sat down in the plush window seat when her finger warmed up. The sudden sensation shocked her, but it only took a moment to register what it was and what it meant. The elf quickly appeared when the young witch barked out her name, and told her what just happened. She gave Ella strict orders to not leave the house unless she called her herself, and she was to bring the baby. Ophelia grabbed the nearest cloak, and ran outside to apparate off of the hidden island.

Although she didn't quite understand how the spell worked, but Ophelia knew exactly where to go. The Shrieking Shack loomed in front of her as she appeared on the front step. She slowly pushed the door open, hoping that there were no enemies lingering inside. After confirming that no one else was inside, she rushed in to find her former headmaster. The bloody site before her brought tears to her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat. Kneeling down next to him, she lightly tapped his cheeks to wake him up and was relieved to see his eyes slowly open. She immediately sighed, but then shushed him from speaking. Looking at the bite mark on his neck, she assumed that the infamous Nagini had bitten him. Ophelia didn't know much about the snake, other than that his chances of survival is very slim because of the deadly poison. She wasn't able to close the wound with magic, so she ripped off a piece of her shirt to apply pressure on the wound. She apparated into an alley way in Muggle London, cast a disillusionment charm and levitated him into the entrance. Everything that happened next seemed to happen so quickly, that Ophelia was disoriented. They rushed him into the ER and sent her into the waiting room, where she remained for two hours.

* * *

After the two hour wait, Ophelia was approached by a healer. The slightly older man stared into the girl's eyes, and wondered why such a young girl would be here for such a rotten man. Healer Raphael Andrews had had the sordid man when he went to Hogwarts, and that was only seven years ago. The Potion's Master was nothing but a cruel teacher who had ridiculed him incessantly, and Andrews had never forgotten that. The young witch in front of him had claimed to be his fiance when she rushed him in, and he was hardly able to believe it. It wasn't until he looked her in the eyes, did he realize that she really did care for Severus Snape and was going to remain here until they either forced her out or they gave her good news. He cleared his throat before lowering his voice to deliver the news, "I'm sorry, miss, but the only good news that I have to give is that we've managed to stabilize him." He paused when Ophelia sucked in her breath, but quickly continued. "He's in a coma, and we've moved him into a room. Visiting hours are from 8 am to.." He was silenced by a look.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving this hospital until he wakes up. Do I make myself clear?" Her gaze was hardened and her voice left no room for debate.

"I apologize, Miss Snape. He has his own room, and we have no reason to check on him unless his vitals change. So if you close the blinds.." he trailed off, hoping that his hint helped her: she nodded sharply.

He turned to leave, expecting to move onto the next patient, but she called out to him once more. She was hesitant, but she was stern in her request. "We have a daughter that's only a couple weeks old, is there any way that you can find a makeshift crib so that I can keep her with me?" she asked. The healer looked and was shocked, and spluttered a response that sounded like a yes before briskly walking away. Ophelia slowly entered the single room, scared to see the man that she loved laying in a coma. The sight was not as gruesome as she originally imagined, but it was still heart wrenching to see such a strong man lying on the bed helpless. Severus was paler than usual, and his cheeks seemed more hollow. His facial express was the worst, though, because he almost looked at peace: Ophelia was frightened of that look.

When Healer Andrews brought a crib, she thanked him with tears in her eyes and sent him on his way. She waited a moment to call Ella, because she wanted just a little more alone time with him before she had to take care of Tegan. Sitting next to Severus, Ophelia grabbed his cold hand and laid her head upon it as well. The tears flowed freely, but she was crying silently. After a moment, she turned to stare upon his face as she spoke to him. "Severus.. Sev.. My love.. Please don't leave me yet. I need you, and more importantly Tegan needs her father," she sobbed.

She cried for a while, but when she was finally all cried out, she called the house elf. It only took a moment for her to appear, and the bundle in her arms was sound asleep. Ella looked ready to runaway again, until she realized that they were in St. Mungos. Ophelia carefully grabbed her daughter and asked for Ella to return to the island to fetch her a sandwich, and the book that she's been reading. It only took Ella a couple moments before she popped back in with the desired objects, and she was ordered to wait back at the house until Ophelia called her once more. Once the house elf left, Ophelia put Tegan in the crib and sat back in the chair next to her love, and waited. She would wait until his eyes opened: and she promised herself that she would stay strong for their daughter regardless of what happened.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer; Blah, blah, blah and blah..

Note; So.. I am ridiculously sorry. I've been really self absorbed lately. Not that many of you probably care, but I'm at risk to be laid off at my job, and I'm trying to find a new job AND work at the current one as much as possible. Plus, the new boyfriend kinda distracts me.. ;] So here you are, another chapter and hopefully I'll be able to get another one up a lot quicker.

* * *

**Going Home**

Severus had been in the coma for about a week before Daily Prophet found out, and Ophelia had given them hell when they published the information for the world to see. Of course the ministry officials visited, confirming the story and instructing her to immediately notify them of his awakening. Two days later, the first attack had been made: a Death Eater tried to force his way in and kill Snape for his betrayal. Ophelia caught the crazy man off guard, and managed to disarm and detain him until some aurors were able to come get him. After that, two aurors were posted outside his door at all times and were rotated out every four hours or so. Ophelia wasn't naive, anymore, and she knew that there were still attempts, but no one ever made it through the aurors. She did feel quite a bit of relief that she wasn't going to be attacked again, any time soon.

Currently, Ophelia was mentally marking the third week, and she was losing hope quickly. She was exhausted, but she was determined to be strong. Tegan was definitely a smiley baby, and she was making it easier on her mother, but there are some things that not even a smiling baby can fix. Ella was bringing her three meals a day, along with helping her take care of Tegan while Ophelia read to Severus. At first, she read menial things like the Prophet, but then moved onto her text books. She liked to focus on Care of Magical Creatures, because it often included information on their magical properties and how best defend against them. Eventually she became tired of reading about bowtruckles and puffskeins, so she decided to write to her parents and let them know that she was alive.

_Dear Mum,_

_I'm sorry. Words cannot even begin to express how horrible I feel for not telling you sooner that I was alive and well. I was indeed among the group of girls that were found scattered throughout England, but I was lucky enough to be saved by Professor Snape. Although he did have to perform the unthinkable task, he did it to prevent me from being taken with someone else. Instead of murdering me as the other men did, he took me to safety and hid me from the Death Eater's. We hatched a plan so that I could continue school, so I didn't fall too far behind. I should be able to take the exams and still graduate when they're able to set them back up._

_I do have some more bad news, however, and you're going to want to sit down if you're not already doing so. The contraception spell is only 98% effective, and I'm one of the unlucky 2% that it didn't work for. You're a grandmother, Mom, and you're granddaughter is perfect. She has black hair, and light blue eyes for now and she loves to smile. I'm excited to bring her to you when everything is said and done._

_I would bring her to you now, but Severus is in a coma and I don't want to leave his side. Mom, I think that I'm in love with him. I want to be here when he wakes up, so I'll be in St. Mungos for a while. You can come visit me, though, and baby Tegan. We're in room 327 with the aurors posted outside the doors, and you will have to get permission to enter. I would love it if you visited, but hopefully I'll be able to leave here soon enough to bring her to you._

_Much Love and Kisses,_

_Ophelia_

Ophelia sent the letter with one of the hospital's owls, and returned to Severus' side. Nothing had changed in the twenty minutes that it had taken her to write the letter, but that was no surprise. She went back to her Care of Magical Creatures book and resumed the waiting game once more.

* * *

Another couple of weeks passed, with hardly any change, and Ophelia exchanged letters with her mother. Mrs. Reynolds was still quite hesitant to leave her home, so she wasn't going to visit. Ophelia sent her a picture of Tegan giggling, and that seemed to pacify her well enough. The letter that she was holding in her hand, though, was an attempt to convince her to come back home and stay with her. The last five weeks have done nothing to make her feel better, and she definitely needs her mommy. With a sigh, she placed the letter on the bed, and grasped Severus' left hand.

Tears formed in her eyes as she leaned her forehead against his cold hand. "Severus," her voice cracked, "Please, please.. Don't give up on us quite yet." The tears fell onto his hand, and she quickly wiped them off. She squeezed his hand as hard as she possibly could, but there was no response. It was at this moment that she made the decision to go back to her parent's house. She stood slowly, and began to gather her things. As she did so, she called in a nurse and gave her some simple instructions.

"When he wakes up, I will be the first person that you notify. Not the ministry, not the aurors, but me," Ophelia left no room for debate. The nurse was scared, but she nodded and disappeared to let her continue packing up her things. She left quite a lot beyond, but took the essentials and called to Ella. She gathered Tegan in her arms and told the house elf where she would be going and that she will call when she needed her. As she exited, she called back to the aurors that she was leaving for a while. She didn't even bother to look back to see if they cared, but she figured that there might be some concern if they thought that she disappeared. She ignored the tears forming her eyes, and tried to squelch the feeling that she was saying 'goodbye' for good.

* * *

The trip was quite short, as Ophelia's parents lived in London, since her father worked for the Ministry. She was able to walk the short distance in about twenty minutes, and she was surprised at how glum the day seemed to be. The clouds were blocking the normally bright sun for this time of year, but at least it wasn't raining unexpectedly. She climbed the stairs to the second level and knocked on the door to her parent's flat. Ophelia could hear her mother walk towards the door, but she hesitated before opening it. Her voice was devoid of emotion when she spoke out from behind the door, "Who are you?"

"It's really me, mom," she paused, knowing that just that wouldn't convince her. She held up her child to the peep hole and tried again, "This is Tegan Eileen Snape, only child of Severus Snape. I was raped back in the fall and was hidden away on an island that Professor Dumbledore created himself."

Ophelia was surprised to hear her mother fumble with the door before throwing it open and pulling her in. The cries of surprise were only dampened by the cries for her father to come quickly. She was also shocked to feel herself crying, but she didn't stop her tears as her mother gently stole the child from her arms so that her father could hug her. The hug was bone crushing, and her father spun her around once before letting her go. He was fighting the tears in his eyes, but Paul Reynolds was fighting a losing battle and Maureen had already given in. The three adults huddled close together and shared this bittersweet moment for several moments, but it was Ophelia who snapped out of it.

She took a deep breath, but her voice was still shaky, "Mom, Dad, this is your newest granddaughter, Tegan." Her parents fawned over the baby, but she continued anyway. "Severus is in a coma and I don't know what to do."

Maureen was the first to speak to her daughter, but even she took a moment. The parents that raised this bright young witch, were having a hard time coping with the fact that she was in love with a man that was twice her age. They were a little outraged that she had been taken advantage of by the man that claims to have saved her, and fear that she was merely suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and not love. Maureen placed her free arm around her daughter and reassured her, "Everything will be alright. You're going to stay here with us until we figure out something better. We can bring up your old crib and rearrange your room to fit it." Ophelia sobbed, feeling as though she was abandoning Severus and, as if she could read her mind, her mother addressed this issue. Her voice was soft, "Ophelia, darling, living at the hospital will not bring him back, and raising your daughter here does not mean that you're abandoning him. Besides, you're still quite close to St. Mungo's and can visit often or get there quickly in case of emergency." Ophelia finally nodded, and called for Ella to bring everything that she would need.


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer; I'm poor and borrowing

Note; Wow.. Do I feel terrible.. I'm really sorry that it's taken forever. However, I think that you guys will like this chapter! Lots! :D

* * *

**The Cries of a Baby**

Ophelia had been living with her parents for a couple of weeks, and she was starting feel a little better. However, when she noticed this, she would start to feel worse again. She spent most of the time either taking care of Tegan, or reading her old school books. Her parents treated her as though little had changed, but they were becoming increasingly more and more worried. She didn't have the spark in her eyes that she had before, and she would avoid a lot of subjects that they wished to talk about. Despite their dislike for the man, they even became more worried when she stopped visiting Severus. Maureen believed that their daughter was in fact in love with her former professor, but the outlook was grim with each passing day that he did not wake up.

Tegan had just awoken from her nap, and whimpered for the warmth of her mother and some milk. Of course, Ophelia hurried to sooth her baby and gracefully picked her up. She sat in the window sill feeding her child, staring out at the rainy sky. The rain was a very cliché depiction of her mood, and she just wished that the sun would shine already. Footsteps were heard outside her door, but she ignored them even when they entered her room.

Maureen stared at her only daughter, and took a seat on the opposite end of the window sill. She spoke hesitantly, "Ophelia, dear, I think that you should go visit Professor Snape." At her daughter's startled glance, she explained why she thought as much. "I'm getting mighty tired of watching you mope around all the time, and I think that seeing him again would help you feel better."

"Mom," her voice choked ever so slightly, "I don't want to go just to watch him die. I just can't do it anymore." The look that Opehlia had at this moment nearly broke her mother's heart. It was the look of someone who had been through too much, and they were beyond ready to give up. Maureen looked away quite suddenly.

"So don't watch him die, darling, help him." Tegan seemed to stop feeding at the perfect time, and Maureen planned to use it to her advantage. She took the baby while Ophelia cleaned herself up and began walking out of her daughter's room. Giving her no chance to respond, she called back to Ophelia, "Your father and I will take the baby until you return!"

* * *

The bustling hospital was worse than depressing for the young witch. She was walking slowly, trying to procrastinate as much as possible. The white sundress normally kept her fairly cooled down, but she was dying of heat as her heart accelerated faster and faster. The door to Severus' door was still guarded, but they hardly seemed to notice that she was walking up and let her through with minimal exchange. Making the mental note to complain about their vigilance, she entered the room.

All the flowers that the people had sent over the last several weeks were either dead or dying, and that only made things harder. Ophelia brought her wand out to freshen the flowers, making them bloom bigger than before. The wide array of colors brightened up the room, and that seemed to make the air flow a lot better. She approached the bed, and gazed upon the sallow, pale face that was Severus. He seemed to have gained a little bit of color – but it could just be the lighting, she thought to herself to diminish the hope. Gripping his hand, she sat next to his bed and stared at the man before and began to talk to him. "I once heard that talking to coma patients may help them recover," her voice was surprisingly strong. "Tegan is doing quite well, Sev, and she is the most well behaved baby I have ever seen. She hardly ever cries, and she looks exactly like you.." she chuckled lightly before adding, "Except she luckily has my nose."

She was interrupted for a moment by a nurse, who used a cleansing spell on Severus himself and levitated his body to change the sheets out. The nurse double checked his vitals and offered to bring Ophelia a warm meal that she kindly turned down. It was twenty minutes before Ophelia was alone with Severus once more, but she didn't mind the break. "You wouldn't believe how many diapers I've changed, Severus, and you're definitely lucky that I can't make you do it," she smiled, trying to keep the one sided conversation on a lighter note.

After an hour or so, she ran out of things to say. So, picking up one of the books that are left for patients to read, she began to read to him. Ophelia snorted at the title of the novel, "The Professor's Sauciest Student", and she knew that Severus would berate her for filling his head with nonsense. She cracked open the book and began reading the awful romance novel. "The professor had seen many students pass through his classes, but he hadn't seen one as sexy as Sara. Try as he might, he was unable to look away when she licked her lips, crossed her legs or – Merlin forbid – bends over for any reason.." The irony was not lost on Ophelia, either, and she continued to read aloud anyway.

* * *

Two hours, seven chapters and three sex scenes later, Ophelia was interrupted by her house elf. Ella popped in to remind her that Tegan was hungry and needed to be fed, and asked if she was coming home or wanted the baby here. Surprising even herself, she asked Ella to bring the small child to St. Mungo's. Ophelia took the baby, sent the elf away, and started feeding her baby. Breast feeding in public was something that the young witch was uncomfortable with, but she felt that the hospital room was private enough. When Tegan was full, Ophelia readjusted herself and started to burp the baby.

She rocked the baby for a while after wards, and laid her down for a small nap on her father's chest. The sight was so cute that she quietly summoned Ella to bring her a camera. Ophelia snapped the picture, but forgot to muffle the sound. The loud 'click' that signaled that the picture was taken woke poor Tegan up, and she began to cry. With an amused smile, she picked the baby up and began to rock her while singing a soft lullaby. She did feel bad that she was crying, but Ophelia thought that it was such a sweet moment.

Trying not to laugh, Ophelia rocked Tegan as she paced the room. She continued singing the lullaby, and tried to sing over the cries of her baby. The cries were loud and Ophelia was fully absorbed. When she finally came full circle to stand next to the bed, baby Tegan stopped fussing. Ophelia tried to lay her back down on her father, but his arms moved to cradle her on his own. Her gray eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth fell open. Severus was awake, and he was holding their baby daughter. Her eyes filled with tears and she carefully wrapped herself around him in a hug. Severus opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly pressed her soft lips against his chapped ones. When she finally pulled away, he seemed to be trying not to smile, "I do believe that you said she hardly ever cried, but that was enough to wake me from the dead."


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer; I make no monetary profit from this story, and I make no claim to own the recognizable characters.

Note; So here is my attempt to beg for your forgiveness and award you for your patience. :] I also have been in a writing mood, so I started this chapter earlier today and am finishing it now (I had a rather strenuous search for specific dates and got nothing. Nada.). Here you go; please enjoy!

* * *

**Unexpected Visits**

To say that Severus was exhausted was an understatement: he was interviewed by several people as to the truth of his loyalties, he was constantly targeted by reporters once again, and the fuss the healers were making for him was enough to make him mad. His claims to be feeling better were an exaggeration so that he may go back to his quiet life, but Ophelia wouldn't let him downplay his ailments. She knew that he was going to be tried by the Wizengamot and that he needed to be in the best shape to defend his actions. Now that he was awake and making a full recovery, she hardly ever left his side and often brought the baby in to visit her father.

Ophelia wasn't the only personal visitor, much to Severus' dismay: the hero Harry Potter skulked in one day holding an envelope and a strange bouquet of flowers. After accepting the gift, Ophelia stood up to leave with Tegan, but Severus gripped her arm – almost painfully, she later complained – and made her stay next to him. His voice lacked the venom it usually held, "Potter, what a delight. Came here to rub salt in the wound?"

"Sev, be nice," Ophelia knew that he was scared, and did her best to squelch his fear. She also knew that she had to keep things amiable between the two, otherwise it might further prolong his recovery. "I apologize, Mister Potter, for his surly attitude" - she fixed him with a glare - "but you might understand the surly mood when forced to remain in a hospital bed against your will. Now, please continue."

Harry's stance was fairly relaxed, but he was indeed nervous. He had hoped that his former professor would pull through, even if just for a chance to talk to him one last time. He slowly approached the foot of the bed, and spoke nervously, "I wanted to thank you, Professor, for your protection throughout the years. I also wanted to apologize for my father's behavior, and my own. Up until recently, I thought that you deserved his harassment but I now realize that my father was cruel to you," He let that sink in and tried to hide his blush by ducking his head. The room was silent with wonder, and Potter awkwardly broke it, "Also, I will be testifying for you that everything you did was under Professor Dumbledore's orders and that it your actions alone that led to the fall of Lord Voldemort."

"Do not paint me a hero, boy!" he spat at his former pupil. He sat forward in a failed attempt to seem more menacing, "Just ask Miss Reynolds the horror she's endured because of me."

Narrowing her eyes, Ophelia stood and called for Ella to take the baby out of St. Mungo's and back to her parents. She forced a smile for Potter, "He's right, Mister Potter," - she ignored the shocked look she was receiving from the boy - "Severus here has given me a beautiful baby girl and then made me worry for weeks that he was never going to get the chance to meet her. I have sat by his bedside day and night waiting for him to finally wake up, only to have him behave like an ass." She guided him towards the door, "So he's not a saint like you may suddenly believe he is."

Potter opened his mouth to say something, but Ophelia shoved him out of the room following close behind. Her voice was low as she finished her speech, "I am deeply sorry, Mister Potter. He's been acting this way for so long, that it hard for him to drop the act and just be complacent for once."

"I.. I don't know what to say," he stuttered slightly. Running a hand through his hair, he let out a sigh, "I don't know what I was expecting, to be honest."

Ophelia felt bad enough for both her and Severus, "He just doesn't know any better.. Is there anything else that I can relay for you?"

He handed her the letter, informing her that it was just a formal notification of his court hearing, set several days after his estimated release. Before Potter turned away, he seemed to connect two dots, "Wait a minute.. Are you Ophelia Reynolds? The girl who was raped and supposedly murdered over the summer?" After a terse nod, he continued, "If you were raped, and you had Snape's baby.. Was he the one who raped you?"

She had dreaded the day when people would figure it out, but she knew that Potter would not be the last one to ask. Ophelia had procrastinated on planning how to handle it because she had been caught up in Severus' recovery. She took a deep breath before answering, "Mister Potter, Severus did what he had to do as to not blow his cover. He took care of me and was gentle," - she blushed - "He hid me and has been my personal hero."

Having answered his question, she turned to enter the hospital room once more but thought better of it. She called back to Potter's retreating figure, "I would appreciate it, Potter, if you would keep that fact to yourself for the time being." His slight nod and comforting smile was enough to reassure her. Entering the room, she rounded on the man laying in the bed, "How dare you drag me into this! Not to mention that that poor boy came here with his tail tucked between his legs to not only apologize and thank you, but to give you all of the credit for defeating Voldemort!"

"He's just-" Ophelia did not let him finish. Severus was astonished by the rage in his young witch, and could only listen as she berated him as if he was the young wizard.

"Can you not let go of old grudges?" Her lips were parted, her bosom was heaving with each angry breath and she could not have been more beautiful. Severus was so busy admiring her beauty that he almost missed it when she spoke next, "You acted like a snotty, immature boy back there! Honestly, how can you have such high expectations for his behavior when you're worse than he is?" She finally stopped yelling at him and waited for him to say something. Ophelia was standing next to the bed with her arms folded across her body, her nostrils flaring ever so slightly.

He was silent as he reached out to grab her hand and giving it a slight squeeze. He urged her to sit on the bed next to him, and she cautiously did so. "Ophelia, I'm.. ah.." She knew it was hard for him and urged him to move on. He cleared his throat before speaking, "I heard what you said to Potter.. and I wanted to thank you." She amicably placed a kiss on his cheek to show her forgiveness, and squeezed his hand tightly. It was a moment before she remembered the letter that Potter gave her, but Ophelia handed the unopened letter to Severus for him to read. Wanting to hear her voice to soften the bad news, he asked her to read it aloud.

_Dear Severus Tobias Snape,_

_ You are requested to attend a hearing to discuss the crimes against you, which are: _

_ The murder of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on June 30,*  
The attack of George Weasley* on July 22, and  
Every other crime committed as a Death Eater that are indistinguishable at this time._

_ The Wizengamot will hold the hearing on July 1__st__ in the main courtroom. You may bring  
any character witnesses that you may see fit, but there will be no spectators._

_ Cordially, _

_ Alaina Mullan  
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

* * *

* Yukira-Kuchiki may be my new favorite. :] She supplied the accurate date that Dumbeldore died and I was too dumb to find myself. Ha. I feel so stupid because I was on the site that she found it, but apparently I wasn't looking in the right spot. Anyway, thank you so very much. :]  
*LemonDropsWoolSocks pointed out the error that it was George who lost his ear, not Fred. So thank you again. :]


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer; I own nothing and make no money.

Note; I've been in a writing mood, lately! I had every intention of putting the trial in this chapter, but I got this idea and decided that I wanted it to be a happier chapter. A little light in the dark times, if you know what I mean. And I modeled the meeting after what I would have liked my boyfriend's meeting with my parents to be like. Haha. My father didn't say more than one thing and my mother was grilling him like a professional interrogater. Ha. So anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**Meeting the Folks**

Severus stumbled out of the hospital only two days later, surprisingly. After enough griping, the healers begrudgingly let him go. Ophelia had left Tegan with her parents in order to escort the older man home. He, despite her protests, was the one to disapparate to the island, and it had taken much of his energy. She half carried, half dragged him into the house in the middle of the island, but once they were inside he laid down on the couch for a moment. His voice was tired, "Will you please fetch me a drink?"

Ophelia immediately jumped up to get him a drink of water; the water was refreshing and it cooled him down. She took this opportunity to remove his cloak and shoes, hoping to make him more comfortable. Once he was rested enough, they moved on to the bedroom. He was to rest for the next couple of days before his trial; he needed to gather his strength to defend himself. Ophelia pulled out his bed clothing, and sat him on the bed to help him. He allowed her take his shirt off, and she was surprised at how many scars he had. His back was riddled with lines and his defined abdomen had a few as well, but none of the healed wounds would compare to the new addition. The bite marks stretched from his collar bone, around his neck slightly and to the middle of his back. Not wanting to embarrass him, she softly kissed his shoulder and healing wound before bringing the shirt over his head.

When it came to his pants, though, he would not allow her to help him. "It is improper! I will lean against the bed for support!" His voice was stern, but Ophelia was not afraid of him at this moment.

"Severus Snape, it is not something that I haven't seen before! Now let me help you, damn it," she was glaring at him. He was grateful that she was shying away from him, but he did not want to seem weak. He shook his head, but she ignored his arguments. She began to undo his pants, and waited for him to stand so that she could slide them down his legs. He scowled, but complied because he had already been exposed. Severus blushed harder than he had ever blushed before, and waited as she dressed him like a child. Ophelia may have been focused, but she did not fail to notice how well endowed he was. Her claim was a slight exaggeration as she did not remember their experience, but she just wanted to help him.

The drama was over for a while, as she laid him in bed and sat beside him. After a moment, she called Ella to bring their child. Tegan was taking one of her naps, but Severus was happy to hold her while she did so. Ophelia never tired of seeing the loving look he donned when he was looking down on his daughter. She hoped that she would receive that look one day, but tried to banish the thought. They laid against the headboard together and watched Tegan, and discussed the upcoming trial.

Her voice was tender, "Sev, how do you think the trial is going to fair?"

"Ophelia.." he was nervous. He wouldn't admit it, but he was afraid that he was going to be found guilty. He continued with a stronger voice, "Whatever may come, you will be taken care of."

"That is not what I asked," she was almost scolding. "Do you really think that they will find you guilty? Even with Potter's testimony?" She hid her tears, but she was also afraid that they would haul him away to Azkaban.

He was silent for a moment, but Ophelia knew that he would answer. "I cannot say for sure," he moved to place a comforting hand on hers. "I have my doubts that Potter can erase the damage, but, against my better judgment, I hope that he can."

* * *

Unfortunately for Severus, with his new daughter, he also had to meet the parents of his witch. Most people found him repulsive, and he was uncharacteristically nervous. He wanted them to, at the very least, respect him and hopefully even like him.

Paul and Maureen Reynolds arrived on the island on a late afternoon the day before the trial. They were modest people, and they tried to keep their minds open with the situation. It was harder for Paul, who was only able to manage a terse "hello", because Ophelia was his baby and he wasn't able to protect her from this man. Severus had been moved to the sitting room and was placed in a well cushioned chair with his feet up. Once the introductions had been made, they sat down for some tea while Tegan napped.

"Professor Snape, we would like to thank you," Maureen broke the ice with a pleasantry. Her smile was gentle, and Severus was surprised by her kindness.

"Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, please call me Severus," his baritone voice sent chills down Ophelia's spine. He may not have been smiling, but he wasn't scowling; the effect being that he almost looked content. Ophelia smiled at him as she served him tea, trying to encourage him.

"What do you guys think of the island?" Ophelia tried to strike up a neutral conversation. She loved this island and had hoped that she could raise Tegan here, providing that Severus would allow her to stay.

Her father was the one to respond, surprisingly, "Ophelia, dear, can we skip the pleasantries?" He had said it nicely, and his daughter knew that he just wasn't comfortable being this stiff. He turned his weathered, blue eyes to the man to him impregnated his daughter. "I just would like to know, Severus, that you're going to take care of my daughter or how this situation is going to work out."

The shock only registered in his eyes, but Severus kept a straight face. The women were watching intently; Maureen wanted to know the answer, but Ophelia was nervous for Severus. She caught his eyes and began thinking at him, "He wants to know if you're going to marry me."

"Mister Reynolds, sir, we hadn't spoken about it yet," was his original answer. He remained calm, and delivered carefully measured answers. "I did not fathom that I would survive the war, but your beautiful daughter saved me. While I have been recovering, I had put much thought into giving Ophelia the offer of marriage. However, I do not wish to condemn her to waste her life with myself. So, regardless of her desires, I have every intention of seeing to it that your daughter is taken care of but more importantly that your granddaughter shall ever want for anything."

Ophelia held in her sigh of relief, but she knew that Severus was not in the clear quite yet. She felt that that was the appropriate answer, but she didn't know what he father thought Paul smiled at the man that was only a few years younger than himself, "The only thing that matters is that my daughter is happy, Severus, and you obviously believe something similar." He turned to his daughter, showing the same happiness, "I may not know him, and he may not have the best reputation as of late, but I do approve. I don't want you to make a decision now, Ophelia, but I am hopeful that this will be a pleasant situation regardless."

Although he wouldn't admit it, but Severus was eternally relieved. Her father didn't hate him, and it appeared that her mother was just as approving. So the rest of the visit was spent with pleasant conversation, with the exception of how they occupied their time during the war. They had explained that while they are happy and grateful that she had been safe the entire time, they had been angry that she had been taken from her. "Parents just aren't supposed to out live their children," her mother scolded in a somewhat joking manner.

When Ophelia escorted her parents home, Severus played with the newly wakened Tegan. She had only been gone a couple about ten minutes, but she still had somehow managed to sneak up on her former professor. Slightly miffed, he scowled at her and watched her sit down by his legs. She rested her head on his left leg, looking up at him. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he beat her to it. "That was only mildly awkward," his voice was sarcastic, but Ophelia knew that he was both sincere yet joking. Her laughter was music to his ears, and he was glad that she understood him well enough to know that he wasn't trying to be rude.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer; I own nothing and make no money. :[

Note; So I've been in a writing mood; is it terribly obvious? ;] So enjoy!

* * *

**Trials and Tribulations**

The trial had come far too quickly for Ophelia, but Severus had felt it looming closer. He enjoyed the time that he was allowed with his only daughter, and the witch that had bared her. He had regained most of his mobility, with the exception of the bitten shoulder. Severus was dressed in his usual teaching garb, but he also had a sling for his hard to keep it immobile. The black, as usual, was a very fitting color for the mood. He was solemn, but he held his head high to hide his fear. The court room was dark, but filled with the great wizards of the Wizengamot. Ophelia trailed along behind him as did Potter, and they were surprised that the Ministry hadn't let spectators in or reporters to let the verdict be known. While Potter took his sear, Ophelia accompanied Severus to his seat. She discretely whispered something in his ear, and sat down. Potter noticed a softening of his face, as if he was trying to suppress a smile.

Mister Potter offered his hand, seeing that she was wringing her hands. With a grateful smile, she gripped his hand as hard as she could. The beginning was boring and Ophelia was only half listening. Once they finally asked Severus to recollect his first alleged crime, Severus' baritone voice was steady and calm.

"I was and always have been a spy for the Order of Pheonix. I was approached by Narcissa Malfoy before the school year and asked to make an Unbreakable Oath to protect her son. To punish the Malfoy family, the Dark Lord had set Draco Malfoy the task of assembling and planning a raid on Hogwarts. In this raid, Draco was to murder the headmaster. My oath was to protect him and finish the task if he could not do it," he paused there, allowing that to sink in. "Albus Dumbledore had foreseen something of this nature happening, and asked me to do the same thing. If I faltered and left the headmaster alive, the Dark Lord would know that I was a spy but following through would mean that everyone would see me a murderer. It was his belief that I could do more good by continuing on with the Death Eaters."

The wizards deliberated for a moment before asking, "Do you have the memory that would prove these conversations?" After confirmation, they brought out a stone basin to view the memories.

Severus slowly pulled out his wand and placed the silvery memories inside. A younger wizard approached them and everyone waited until he pulled back out to confirm. His voice was higher than Ophelia had expected when he made his announcement, "These memories are not tampered with, and they confirm what has been said." With a curt nod, he stepped back to stand with the Wizengamot.

While they deliberated once more, Potter leaned down to explain who that man was, "That man has been expertly trained to recognize if the memories have been tampered with. Apparently a lot of the Death Eaters are bringing the memories already bottled, and they had to call these guys in." He only looked at her to say, "Watching him pull the memories out was proof enough, but this is the protocol now. You can't modify a memory as you pull it out, and it was a good thing that he waited until asked to provide them."

They announced that they would announce their verdict of each charges against Severus, so they continued onto the next one. The head of the Wizengamot addressed him, "Will you please account for us what happened on the night of July 22nd?"

He recalled the events, and summarized with, "I was aiming at a Death Eater, and I cannot say what made me lose my aim but the curse hit George Weasley instead. I have not had the chance to give my condolences to the family."

"I can speak for the Weasley family and they do not wish to penalize Professor Snape," Potter stood, only momentarily letting go of Ophelia's hand; she felt guilty when she saw him flex his hand to get the blood flow back. "They believe that it was an accident."

The Wizengamot spoke for only a moment before moving on, "Among your crimes as a Death Eater, we have had one of your alleged peers claim that you raped and murdered Miss Ophelia Reynolds."

Ophelia immediately stood, surprised that they would bring this up. Every pair of eyes was on her, and they were silent and waiting for her to speak. Her voice was weak but gradually became stronger, "I am Ophelia Reynolds, and Professor Snape saved my life that night. He did what he had to, but I do not wish for him to be punished for doing the right thing."

"I am sorry, Miss Reynolds, but what prevents us from believing that he has not threatened you to say so?" One of the wizards posed the rhetorical question, but he then turned to Severus, "If possible, we would like to view the memory of this act as well."

Nodding, he added the memory to the basin, and waited for the specialist once more. Ophelia was blushing profusely, and was avoiding the gaze of everyone by staring at the floor. She only looked up when she heard him make his announcement. "The memory shows Mister Snape using the Imperius curse to make her scream as if in pain, but he.. um.." the crimson blush was blotchy at first, but now it covered every part of his body that could be seen. "He treated her with respect and only knocked her out until he could deposit her in his home."

They deliberated and moved on despite the awkwardness. Ophelia started to tune out most of what was going on, even when Potter made his opinion of the matter. They sat there for hours, asking Severus to recount the many crimes he did in the name of the Death Eaters and provide memories of specific orders from Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. She only began to pay attention when the Wizengamot stood to deliver the verdict.

The head wizard was quite an old man, but his voice was strong. He stood, along with the others, to speak, "Severus Tobias Snape, on the murder of Professor Dumbledore we find you not guilty; as to the assault on George Weasley, we find you guilty; as to the rape of Ophelia Reynolds, we find you guilty.." Ophelia stopped listening because she stopped breathing. How could they find him guilty, when she herself did not wish for it to be pursued? Potter felt her sag down in defeat, and put a consoling arm around her shoulders.

* * *

Severus was not surprised, but he was still hopeful; just because they found him guilty, does not mean that it was automatically a trip to Azkaban or that it was for life. He kept his head raised and listened carefully as the head wizard addressed him for the sentencing. "Mister Snape, I conferred with Mister Talbot, the Memory Specialist, and he had conveyed to me how torturous your lifestyle had been," his voice was kind. "Although we find you guilty of these specific events, we do believe that everything you did was for the good of the wizarding world and the muggle world alike. It took a lot of convincing on my part, but we do not wish to sentence you."

He tried to prevent his gasp, and somewhat succeeded; Ophelia was seeing spots once she started to breathe again. The old man was not finished, "We believe that the risks that you took, and the things that you were forced to do" - he nodded towards Ophelia politely - "is punishment enough. We believe that Hogwarts will be opening on schedule, and wish that you would resume teaching either as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor or the Potions Professor." He smiled and chuckled before adding, "Although, we do hope that this renewed chance at a free life comes with a much nicer disposition towards the children." Severus knew that he was poking fun at him, and he managed to smile.

"I would like to thank you, for your kindness," he spoke softly as he stood. Ophelia rushed to his side, over joyed at the turn of events. She helped him stand, and then hugged him tightly. He would normally hate these kinds of affections in public, but his hands slithered around her back to press her close. He buried his head in her hair, and hid the tears building in his eyes.

She openly cried and whispered into his once more, "I knew you could do it and I meant what I said." He grinned into her hair as he remembered what she whispered into his ear, _"When you get out of this mess, I want to take you up on the offer to be your wife."_

* * *

Wow. Eff me sideways. LemonDropsWoolSocks pointed out a very terrible error; it was George that Severus accidentally maimed and not Fred. So I fixed this error and would like to thank her for knowing more than me. ;]_  
_


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer; I own nothing and make no profit.

Note; I've been lazy lately.. I only work on the weekends now, and have all day on the week days to write and watch all sorts of crazy tv shows! :D So enjoy!

* * *

**Red Common Poppies**

It was only a week after the trial that he had paid a visit to Minerva McGongall. Ophelia accompanied him at his request, and she had brought the napping Tegan with her. Hogwarts was a mess; there was rubble everywhere and there were people attempting to rebuild the old castle. McGonagall met them at the entrance, and guided them to an empty classroom that had already been reassembled. She gave them tea as they sat down before addressing Severus, "I cannot describe how happy I am that you're alive and well. When I found out that you were stable at St. Mungos, I wanted to visited you as soon as I could. However, I didn't know if that would help your recovery or hinder it."

Severus smiled to show that he understood the joke, but he was here for business. He was not as snarky with her as usual, but he was serious. "The head of the Wizengamot suggested that I resume teaching," he spoke somewhat quietly. Ophelia grasped his hand in support, and this did not go unnoticed.

"I did not think that you would return, but I kept your position open just in case," she smiled tightly. "And by your position, I mean that I wanted to offer you the position for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Slughorn has agreed to return, but if you would prefer Potions I'm sure that he would appreciate the break after such eventful years."

Ophelia grinned openly, knowing that that was the position that Severus wanted. Tegan was starting to stir, so she turned her attention to the baby. Severus smiled honestly, and finally felt that life was going his way. "I appreciate this, Minerva. When is the school term expected to start?"

"We had to delay is for just a couple of weeks this year because of the renovations, so it will begin on September 14," she was very precise. Ophelia was surprised to say that she missed Professor McGonagall, and she was glad that she had gotten to see her again. The old woman held even more surprises, "Now, let me see your little one, Miss Reynolds."

* * *

These days were the best that Severus could ever remember. He did enjoy tormenting his students via taking points and doling out detentions; however, this happiness was down in every bone. This happiness was not at the expense of others, and in fact included the woman who was surprisingly willing marry him and his daughter. Ophelia was gorgeous, understanding and she wanted to stay with him. His thoughts were interrupted as Ophelia brought him lunch; she placed the tray of food in front of him and placed Tegan on the floor to play with some of her toys.

"I made some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup," her voice was like honey, and it made him want to smile. She smiled at him and sat in front of him, and started in on her own food.

He couldn't help but watch her; she was graceful and delicate. She was keeping an eye on the baby, and smiling as Tegan was making noises as she played. He couldn't help but notice that she took the ring off of her right ring finger, but she must not have wanted to get it dirty. Severus was also surprised that she was naturally such a good mother, but she made it look really easy. When he finished his meal, he, having a brilliant idea, offered to take the dishes for her. Before he made it to the kitchen, he turned back to her, "Would your parents be willing to watch Tegan tonight?"

"Oh.. Well most likely, I would just have to ask," she was surprised that he would ask, but she was curious as to why. She turned towards him, and was trying to fight a grin, "Why?"

He fought a blush, but his baritone voice was smooth as he answered, "I would like to take you out." She couldn't stop her grin, and he couldn't help but grin right back at her. He left it at that as he took the dishes back into the kitchen.

* * *

Ophelia's parents were more than happy to get to spend time with Tegan, and even offered to keep her over night. Severus was excited, and he thanked them profusely before whisking their daughter away. She wrapped her small arm around his strong arm and he apparated to his destination. Ophelia was surprised to see a dilapidated house in front of her, and looked to Severus who was somber. She slid her hand down his arm to his hand and she squeezed it tightly as he lead her towards the house. "This is the house," his voice was soft, "that I grew up in."

It was a muggle's house, he explained, so he used a regular key to let himself in. It was small and very dingy, and Ophelia could hardly breathe. Severus vanished the dust, cleaned the couches off and had her sit down. He grabbed a very slim book and sat down right next to her, "You once asked me to tell you about my childhood and I was quite rude in declining. So here we are."

He allowed her to see the cover of book; _Memories of Severus Tobias Snape._ Before he opened it, he explained, "My father was very cruel to my mother and I, and there aren't many photos but my mother was to take as many as she could."

He showed her about twenty photos and told her the stories behind them. There were some funny stories and Ophelia was glad that there at least some happy memories. The photos stopped about the time that he hit the age to attend Hogwarts, and those last few photos were sadder and sadder. She discretely took a deep breath before asking, "So I noticed that this stop just before you went to Hogwarts, why is that?"

"My father was a muggle and he abhorred everything that involved magic, so my attending Hogwarts was a sore spot. He was especially terrible to her after I would leave," his voice was too calm and even; Ophelia was sure that he was upset, but he wouldn't admit it out loud. He continued after a short pause, "It was actually while I was at school that she passed away."

Her heart broke when he said that, "Oh Sev.. He didn't.. Did he?" Her gray eyes searched his dark pools, hoping against all hope that she was wrong.

"There was no concrete evidence against him, but I know that he did it," he closed the book softly. "She passed when I was sixteen, so I had to return to his care the summer before my seventh year."

"Oh no! That must have been absolutely miserable!" He watched her tear up, and, for some reason, his heart warmed up. It touched him that she cared for him enough to be sad for him, and it made it easier to continue his story.

He hinted that things were indeed miserable, but spared her the details. Severus had never said any of these things out loud, and he was surprised at how easy it was. She could sense that this was extremely hard for him, so she started sharing some of her childhood to ease things. He laughed at her funnier stories, and it was a pleasant, deep laughter that came from his belly. After their conversation, he showed her around his old home. The place where he performed his first feat in magic, and the little hideout that he would practice brewing potions. Ophelia was happy that he was sharing himself with her, and she was already feeling closer to him. He explained that the house was left to him, and he couldn't bring himself to sell it. "I feel like my mother wouldn't approve," he chuckled to himself.

* * *

After visiting his old home, he took her to the field of flowers that he once took Lily to. He remembered that night in the back of his mind, but he managed to keep it out of his conscious thought. Ophelia was amazed at all of the beautiful flowers; they were literally everywhere and of every color conceivable. The sun was setting, and the lighting was magnificent; Severus couldn't help but take a mental picture of the Ophelia standing against the sunset.

"Wow, Sev, just wow!" she exclaimed. She couldn't even find the words to describe the things around her. She was astound at the variety of flowers; lilac foxglove, red common poppies, white autumn crocus, white and red burnt orchid, blue forget me nots, bright fuchsia flowers, orange oriental poppies, yellow calendulas and many others that she couldn't even list.

He was quiet for a while, but he let her lean on him with her back against him. His arms snaked around her shoulders and held her close. They stood in a comfortable silence, watching the sun go down. The crickets were chirping nicely, and Ophelia was on cloud nine. It wasn't until the sun was at its lowest point that Severus turned the young witch around to speak with her. He took a step back, "Ophelia, you technically have already given me your answer, but I never really had the opportunity to ask the question." He pulled a small box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. The box contained his mother's ring; the same ring that she thought that she lost. His eyes gave away that he was nervous, but everything else was calm as he asked, "Miss Ophelia Reynolds, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

She was quiet as the smile came over her face; Severus' eyes were bright, he was kneeling in red poppies and his face was hopeful. She was too excited to contain herself anymore, and she jumped up and down as she shouted, "Yes!" over and over again. He smiled as he slipped the ring on the correct finger and enveloped her in a hug. She pulled away to place a kiss on his surprised lips. Without warning, he apparated them back to the island. Ophelia ran with it, though; she literally dragged him through the house in a run. They ended in the bedroom, and for the first time they had consensual relations.


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer; I own nothing from Harry Potter, nor am I making a monetary profit.

Note; I've been distracted lately, and have started what could be several stories. I have no intention of posting them on here quite yet, but they're definitely going somewhere. So here is the new chapter, please enjoy!

* * *

**Old Friends and New Problems  
**

Ophelia Reynolds felt like she was living the dream; she had a beautiful daughter, a man that treated her well and they were going get married. After retrieving their daughter the morning after their date, they discussed the wedding plans. Severus was going to be starting the new school year, which meant that the wedding was impractical before Christmas break. Ophelia didn't particularly want a winter wedding, so they were going to wait for next summer. The only other thing that they discussed was the size of the wedding; Severus refused to have a huge wedding, and Ophelia wanted a medium sized reception. He didn't have anyone that he really wanted to invite, but she had friends and family and felt obligated to include his colleagues. They compromised fairly quickly, though, and decided to make the ceremony as small as possible but to invite no more than one hundred and fifty people for the reception.

So now Ophelia was currently mulling over the people that she wanted to invite and writing them down. She currently had seventy-eight people written down, and it was slowing down considerably so she was confident that she wasn't going to go over his limit. With a slight jerk of surprise, she remembered her three closest friends; Amanda, Corwin and Reginald. With this, Ophelia was aware that she hadn't had an opportunity to tell them that she was alive. Three identical letters were written and sent to them, telling them of her situation and inviting them over for tea. She would have to meet them at her parents house, but they would get to see the island. The term had already started, and Severus had been spending the weeks at Hogwarts and the weekends at home. Ophelia had been kind of lonely during the week, so this was a perfect opportunity to get rid of this feeling.

Tegan was starting to wake up from a nap, so Ophelia took her out of her crib and began playing with her. They had been playing for some time before the first reply came, and it was from both Amanda and Corwin: Ophelia was happy to hear that they would be right over for tea, and were happy to meet her daughter. She had begun cleaning up the house when the second letter came: Reginald would be there right away. She asked Ella to play with Tegan until Ophelia returned, and disapperated immediately.

* * *

Severus had been having a tough time at Hogwarts; he hadn't expected a warm welcome from the students per say, he had thought that they would at least respect him. However, half of the students revered him as a hero, desiring the answers to many questions, and half of the students expected him to be nice and much more relaxed with grading. He had every intention of being a little less severe, but he wasn't going to turn into Professor Sprout. So, sitting at his desk grading the sorry excuses for assignments, he began to miss Tegan and especially Ophelia. He had a very terse conversation with McGonagall, who lectured him on the importance of staying at the school and made several scathing comments, and he began his slight journey home.

Gathering his cloak and wand, he began his walk down to the gate of Hogwarts. The term was going to start soon, and the weather was beginning to show it. He figured that Ophelia was planning the wedding at home, and he couldn't help but dread whatever she was going to lay on him when he walked through the door. It was also hard to repress the excitement that came with knowing that the wedding she was planning was theirs. Severus Snape was getting married, and to someone that actually wanted him and wasn't completely insufferable. However, nice these thoughts were, it did very little to lighten his mood.

When he apparated to the island, he immediately began his the short trudge to his home. He entered the kitchen door as usual, but he was not greet by any of the usual sights. There were two males in the kitchen and Ophelia was laughing at one of them had said: he felt a pain in his chest before he saw red. Severus subconsciously slipped back into his training, and kept himself calm. Ophelia brightened when he entered the room, and she jumped to take his cloak and offered him tea. He followed her into the living room to hang it in the closet and hissed, "Who are these people and what are they doing here?"

"Severus," Ophelia was genuinely shocked by his tone, and immediately stepped away from him. She searched his eyes, trying to retrace the steps and figure out what she had done wrong. She lowered her voice so that her guests wouldn't hear, "These are my friends, and I asked them over for tea. What's wrong?"

"You invited two little boys to my home to flirt with you, and you don't see anything wrong with that?" His eyes were narrowed, nostrils flared but he remained calm. Severus was still seeing red, and he was unable to see the hurt in her eyes as he stared her down.

Ophelia took a deep breath, "I will take them home as soon as Amanda is out of the restroom. I'll bring you Tegan and you can put her to bed." She rushed into the kitchen, and began making excuses for retiring early. He only vaguely heard them, "He's still recovering from everything, and he's had a bad day at the school." Severus imagined that they were complaining like they did in their school days.

He heard Ophelia's footsteps toward him before she appeared to hand of their baby. She wouldn't look at him, and she left quicker than she came. Severus carefully carried his daughter into their bedroom to lay her down. He began to get more angry with Ophelia over even this little thing: why did they create a room for her if she never slept in it? It was a waste of space and the person responsible was the same witch that violated his trust. Making a split decision, he decided not to lay her down in their room, but to take her to her own room.

Severus had just sat down when Ophelia entered the bedroom. She stopped in the doorway and stared at the empty spot that Tegan normally slept. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm herself down before pulling her wand out to cast a silencing spell on their room so that Tegan wouldn't hear their conversation. She put her wand down on the nightstand before speaking, "So will you please tell me why you're so upset?"

"Is this what you do while I'm away during the week? Secret visits with men behind my back and in my home?" Severus was not yelling, but he was louder than usual. He noticed that she sat very still, and that she was waiting for him to finish everything that he had to say. He said he one thing that he knew would hurt her most, "If this is how it's going to be with you, I don't know that I want you around."

It took her a moment to digest what he had said, and another moment to push back any emotional response that she may have. Ophelia knew that he was angry, and any outburst from her could make things a lot worse. She spoke softly, "May I ask why you put Tegan in her own bed and not ours?"

"That's another thing! We made her a room, and that is where she should be sleeping. I do not understand why you have insisted on having her sleep beside you every night," Severus finished his lecture, and it was his turn to wait for her response.

Ophelia was speechless: she knew that he was just angry and lashing out, but she couldn't help but be hurt by everything that he was saying. She grabbed her wand and pocketed it before replying, "I have her sleep with me because I miss sleeping next to you, and now she can't sleep in her own room. I invited my friends over because I hadn't seen them since the night Tegan was conceived and I was lonely without your company." She couldn't hold back the tears, but she was able to wipe them away before they fell too far, "If you don't want me around, I won't be around. I'm taking Tegan with me to my parents, and you can pick her up on Friday when you're done at work."

Empty: that's the word that Severus would use to describe what he felt. It had only taken Ophelia one minute to grab Tegan and disapperate, and five minutes for Ella to gather her things after she had left. He had heard her attempts at stifling her sobs right before she left, and that was enough to make him realize that he was over reacting. Severus sat on the bed trying to figure out what angered him so: was it his students, McGonagall or was it seeing Ophelia having fun with other males? He wouldn't let the students effect him this much, nor would he allow McGonagall: so it had to be Ophelia. Seeing her smiling at them, almost the same way that she smiled at him. He was sure that she was fooling around with them, but he knew that Ophelia wasn't the type of person to do such a thing. The thought of losing Ophelia had caused the flicker of pain, but it turned to anger when he realized that he let his guard down. In that moment, Severus needed to hurt her before she hurt him; and it was in this moment that he realized that he truly did care for her, and losing her was worse than losing Lily. The worst part, was that he couldn't apologize: Severus Snape didn't know how to say 'sorry'.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer; I own nothing and make no monetary profit.

Note; I have to say sorry for breaking them up just when things were getting good. However, something had hit me a little bit ago: Severus Snape is not an easy person to deal with, so the relationship cannot be smooth sailing. I just wanted to put a rock in the road that they could over come, so that it was more in character. So with that, here is the beginning of their reconciliation!

* * *

**Silver Rings**

Ophelia had been living with her parents for three weeks now, and she was having a very hard time coping with everything that had happened. The only reason that she bothered to get out of bed was because of Tegan and she didn't want her parents to worry about her. She hadn't contacted her friends again, because she was embarrassed: she had spent the time trying to convince them that Severus Snape was actually a good man that treated her well. However, he had practically thrown her out all in the same night.

After the second week of moping about, she decided that she was going to get a job and start saving up for a flat of her own, so that she didn't have to burden her parents for very long. So the third week she had been walking up and down London trying to find a shop that she could work in. Ophelia had caught a lucky break when a new book shop had opened up just down the block from her parent's flat. The owner himself had been so impressed with her that he had asked her to help him set up the shop before their official opening.

Ophelia would spend her days in the spacious book shop, which would surprisingly take her mind off of things, and then go home to spend the evening with her daughter. The shop owner, Claude, had a lame leg and so she would do all of the heavy lifting and rearranging, but he often let her decide where things should go. He had accidentally spied her wand, and confided in her that he too was a wizard and that he encouraged her use of magic. However, he reminded her that they mostly sold muggle books, so she could only use it when the shop was closed or empty. They often discussed their schooling – he had attended Durmstrang – and the differences between the schools.

Claude was a gentleman: he respected her hesitance to discuss personal matters, and he was nothing but kind to her. He was an older man, Ophelia guessed somewhere around fifty, but his hair was only slightly graying and it was still thick. He had laugh lines around his smile, and his eyes crinkled slightly when he was in a merry mood, which was very often. They made a good team: she was very organized, able to easily come up with several possibilities, and he was decisive with said possibilities. So it was no wonder that they got along really well, and that they planned on opening the store two days ahead of schedule.

"We're going to open at nine tomorrow morning, dear," Claude's kind voice came from behind the counter. He was arranging the cleaning supplies underneath the counter and Ophelia was washing the windows at the front.

Turning back to him, Ophelia smiled sweetly, "Would you like me here around eight-fifty, then?" She was beginning to think of him as a long lost uncle; because he quite quickly became to mean something to her, but in a familial way.

"Of course," he chuckled. He then dismissed her earlier than usual, because he knew that she had been working very hard. Claude watched her go, and recognized a deep sadness that she was constantly trying to hide. He then began to ponder what such a wonderful witch could possibly be so sad about, but then decided that he was just going to have to ask her.

* * *

She was indeed sad, but it was the only time that she would let herself feel her own emotions: she knew that it was more important to take care of her daughter than to feel sorry for herself. However, it did get really hard sometimes, particularly when Tegan was fussy or when she would wake up in the middle of the night. So, taking the long way home, she began to rethink her situation: Severus was mad because she had inviting guests into his home without his knowledge, and that he happened to walk in when the only other female was in the restroom. Maybe he had the right to be mad at her, she thought, but she still couldn't make herself crawl back to him because he was the one that didn't want her anymore.

When she arrived home, Ophelia took the stairs instead of the elevator because she wanted five more minutes to herself. She tried to think of an argument as to why he would want her anymore, and she was struggling. Losing confidence in herself, she opened the door to her parent's flat and put her bright smile on her face. Maureen was playing with Tegan on the floor in the living room, and she jumped up when Ophelia entered, "Oh look! Mommy's here just in time to change your stinky diaper!"

"Oh goody!" Ophelia laughed, carrying her baby into their bedroom. She quickly changed the wet diaper, and just held the charcoal eyed beauty in her arms. It was a good thing that Tegan hadn't developed any habits from her father, yet, because that would make Ophelia miss him more. That was a curious thing, as well: she missed their silent evenings, his sarcastic humor and the most adorable way that he would play with their daughter.

Since it was a Friday evening, she needed to prepare Tegan to visit her father. She started packing several of her cutest outfits and more than enough diapers to last the weekend. Ophelia kept her daughter close to her while she was getting her ready, because she would have a hole in her life until Tegan was back home. Also, she was getting more and more upset with what she had decided to discuss with Severus tonight. The ring that he had given her was immediately taken off of her finger because Ophelia couldn't stand the reminder of her failed relationship. However, she knew that it was his mother's ring, and that the woman that he did finally marry deserved it instead of her. So she had purchased a plain silver ring – which hadn't set her as far back as she had expected – and was going to ask him to put the _pervenio _charm on her ring instead.

The clock read 6:30 pm, and she apparated just outside of the Hogwarts gate. Severus was waiting for her, and she was grateful that she wasn't running late because he would have been even more angry with her. The bundled up baby smiled when she saw her father, and Ophelia carefully handed her over. Before she handed him the large bag holding Tegan's things, she spoke softly, "I also had something that I would like to speak to you about, if you have just a moment."

Severus hesitated: he didn't want to rehash everything that had happened, because he still hadn't thought of a way to apologize. He tersely nodded and they walked almost silently, but he was quietly talking to Tegan to make her giggle. The walk was extremely long, but they finally made it to his office and he shut the door behind them.

"I'll make this fairly quick," she pulled his ring from her pocket and set it on his desk. "This is yours, but I know that we need the charm just in case something happens. So," she showed him her own ring on her finger, "I thought that you could move the charm onto this ring."

He studied the ring very closely: it was thin, dainty and it caught the light when she brushed her out of her face. He couldn't quite place why, but it hurt him a little when he realized that she would no longer be wearing his ring. His voice was oddly tense to his own ears, "It will only take a moment." He turned around to place Tegan on the floor with her toys and couldn't help but blurt out, "Would you like some tea in the mean time?"

"Oh," she couldn't stifle her surprise. Ophelia looked him in the eyes for just a moment before realizing that he really wanted her to stay. Taking a seat next to Tegan she answered, "Only if it's not any bother."

"Of course not," he immediately set to making her favorite tea. Severus watched her and couldn't help but notice how motherly she was and how adorable he found it. When the tea was ready, he handed Ophelia a cup and set to removing the spell on his mother's ring and placing it on Ophelia's.

The only noise was Tegan and Ophelia and it was surprisingly soothing to Severus, who had to concentrate. It had only taken him a several minutes, but he waited to announce it so that he could watch her for just a moment longer. She was currently attacking Tegan with light kisses and the baby was squealing with joy, and the sight made him grin. Severus sat down with the pair, and spoke softly, "So how have things been?"

To say that Ophelia was shocked would be an understatement: he was supposed to be angry at her, not curious to know if she was happy. She took a sip of tea to form an answer that wouldn't upset him, "Well, I got a job at a book store: Claude Jackson owns the store and he's such a sweet old man. Which actually brings me to another thing and I'm glad that you reminded me. The store is opening this weekend, and you'll be dropping her off with my parents while I'm at the book store."

Severus stiffened at the thought that he'd have to face the Reynolds' after kicking their daughter and their only granddaughter. Ophelia knew him well enough to see it, so – against her better judgment – she made a suggestion, "You could always just drop her off at the book store, and I'm sure Claude won't mind."

"That would probably be for the best," was the relieved response. Severus was saved for at least one more weekend.

After a slightly awkward silence, Ophelia was dying to ask the same question that he had asked her, "So how have things been with you?" She was referring to how the students were treating him, but she wouldn't have outright asked him.

"The students haven't changed much, but it's nice not to be to angry all the time," Severus admitted quietly. Things have calmed down, and it's been a lot easier for him to be nicer. He had been feeling so guilty, that he felt that he had to make up for how he treated Ophelia.

Ophelia felt that she was being dismissed, so she asked about the ring and he dropped it into her open hand. She softly said 'goodbye' and kissed Tegan on the top of her head before walking out of the dungeons. She couldn't help but smile because they actually had a conversation, and he didn't seem too angry with her anymore. After apparating home, she fell asleep early and got a lot of extra sleep.


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer; Unfortunately, I only own Ophelia, Claude and Tegan.

Note; I am so sorry! Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. :[

* * *

**The Life-Changing Letter**

Minerva McGonagall was a very old and wise woman, but she still couldn't fully understand the Slytherin Professor. She had seen that there was some inner turmoil, and that he was acting extremely unlike himself, but she had no idea of a way to brooch the subject with him and have a civil discussion. The solution finally came to her one evening, when she was having a light hearted conversation with the portrait of a particular former headmaster. He listened intently while she explained what she could to him, but his eyes began to twinkle as best as they could when she was finished.

Leaning back into his chair, his voice was surprisingly strong and alive, "It seems that you may need to suggest to our dear Defense Against the Darks Arts teacher the perfect way of apologizing to a woman."

"How exactly would I tell him, if he'll only glare at me and storm off to his dungeon?" McGonagall was skeptical, but not against the idea. Glancing at the clock, she realized that Severus would be leaving soon and they needed to hurry.

"What have been the best apologies from a man that has scorned you?" Albus, as always, was trying to lead her to an answer instead of out right telling her. She realized this and was immediately irked; however, she knew that it would just be faster to humor him. He continued without an answer, "Then perhaps that is how he should handle the situation."

* * *

Severus was still packing all of his daughter's things when the knock came to his door. He bid whoever it was to enter without even looking up, but he had an idea as to who it was. Headmaster McGonagall merely strolled several steps into his office and stood patiently, "I was just coming to visit your daughter before she was off again."

"I will be leaving in fifteen minutes, but it would help if you could entertain her while I pack," he had long given in to the idea of McGonagall acting as a grandparent to the child.

"Hello there, Tegan," the older woman cooed. She allowed Tegan to latch onto her finger and she wiggled it around to entertain the baby, "How's your mommy doing?"

Severus, having overheard the question, was aware that the question was really directed at him. He wasn't going to answer, but he wasn't quite control of his tongue lately. "She's doing fine. She started working in a bookshop in London."

"Maybe you could suggest that she write to me and explain her actions, or rather her inaction, and I just may forgive her," McGonagall's were practically twinkling. Severus couldn't help but think that the woman was taking lessons from that old codger Dumbledore.

Severus seemed to have everything ready in no time flat, and he contemplated everything that the headmaster had said. She seemed to have suggested that he compose a letter that would explain how he felt and why he reacted the way he did, and that may be apology enough. Of course he wouldn't write the letter with McGonagall in the room, and it would take longer than fifteen minutes to explain himself. However, the idea had some merit: he would have to try it.

* * *

Ophelia was behind the counter and ringing up an older lady when Severus walked in, and she immediately grinned at him and her child. The woman smiled at Tegan and tried to make her smile before sharing her thoughts, "You guys are one cute family!" Hearing this, Severus' insides immediately began flutter and he had to remind himself that he was in public. He wanted to correct the kind old woman, but he noticed that Ophelia just smiled and bid her farewell.

When the door had shut once more, he placed the wriggling baby in her mothers arms. She immediately began asking all sorts of cute questions, "What did you do with daddy this weekend? Did you have lots of fun?"

"She was a bit fussy Friday evening after you left, but I can't blame her for missing you," Severus nearly slapped himself for not reigning in his tongue. He couldn't take the comment back, so he continued speaking as if it hadn't happened, "On Saturday we played with Hagrid's new puppy and today was just another lazy day."

"Wow!" Ophelia tactfully ignored his blunder, and focused on the rest, "You had a fun weekend with Daddy, didn't you? But now we get to read until mummy is off of work!"

Severus waited patiently for a moment, but he couldn't remain there forever. Even though he enjoyed watching her play with their daughter, he knew that he had to get started on his plan. His voice was still soft, "I will be taking my leave, then."

Ophelia glanced up, surprised, and turned back towards him, "Tegan, say 'goodbye'!"

The babble that ensued was taken as a farewell, and Severus placed a tender kiss on her forehead before swiftly exiting the small book shop. Ophelia stared after him, wondering what he was thinking about, but quickly turned back to her daughter. Propping open the large pop up book, she began to read to Tegan.

* * *

Severus had been sitting in front of his desk for what had felt like forever, and he didn't seem to be getting anywhere. In reality, it had been the two free hours he had after each work day, and it was only Wednesday. He had started to write the letter, and he would always find something wrong with what he had written and crumple it up and throw in the waste bin. It was when he had thrown away his fourth attempt did he make a decision; it didn't have to be perfect, and in fact the imperfections would make it more real, but it did have to accurately describe his feelings. He managed to finish the letter several hours later, but then he had to figure out how he was going to deliver it.

If he sent it now, that meant that they would discuss it when she dropped Tegan off and he didn't know if that's quite what he wanted. He could always send it with her after she left, and she could have the weekend to think about the contents of the letter. It only took him a moment to decide that that was the best idea, and that he should slip it in her pocket to find later.

The next two days of classes passed by so slowly, that Severus contemplated letting them out early Friday afternoon. However, he knew that that would cause suspicion, and he'd have to pay for it later. So it was at the normal time that he met Ophelia down by the gates of Hogwarts. As he carefully took the wriggling baby from her arms, he slipped the rolled up parchment into her pocket. He quietly bade her farewell and watched her disapperate back home.

* * *

Ophelia was taking her cloak off to begin working at the book shop when she felt the letter. It was a Friday, so she was unable to read it until Claude forced her into the back room for a break. She had noticed that her Professor seemed to be in a peculiar mood, and Ophelia had learned to expect the worst. With her cup of tea, she sat down in Claude's comfiest chair and began reading the surprisingly long letter.

_Ophelia,_

_I cannot begin to explain how deeply sorry I am. I told you a little of my past, but I left out the most important chapters; Lily Evans. I fell in love with Lily from the first moment I laid eyes on her, but the love only grew as we grew up together. When we finally hit the age to attend Hogwarts, she was sorted into Gryffindor and I was sorted into Slytherin. Although our houses were enemies, we remained as close as we could: until the day that James Potter began to fancy her._

_ At first, she rejected him with such a fury that I hoped it was because her feelings were elsewhere. However, she began to fall for his charms and befriend him and his cohorts. They were cruel to me, Ophelia, and it was their cruelty that pushed me to do something that I'm not proud of. I made what some muggles might call a Freudian slip and called her the most horrid name that anyone could call a muggle born: mudblood. From the moment that the word passed my lips, she had shunned me and turned to that prat Potter. Lily broke my heart, because she chose that 'golden boy' Potter or me, and I had never found it in my heart to love anyone else._

_ To say that I lack self esteem would be accurate, but it is more that I would rather hurt you before you can hurt me. I have built up so many walls so that no one can inflict that much pain on me again, but you have managed to slip through each one without me even realizing it. So seeing you with younger, handsome boys was a surprising sting. Without thinking in the logical manner I usually use, I lashed out and assumed that you were upgrading. I only pushed you away because I didn't want you to leave of your own free will._

_ At first, I felt that I was justified in my anger and that you had actually intended to hurt me. However, after only a few days did I realize that I was absolutely out of my mind. I had inadvertently locked you up like a caged bird, and I shouldn't have been so shocked that you would want to see your friends. So I've been rotting in my dungeon with guilt, and I have been trying to figure out a way to make you see how sorry I am. This is the only way that I know how, and I'm sorry that it's not more grandiose than you deserve._

_ I want you to know that you are quite like Lily, but a million times better. You are just as intelligent, funny and patient, but you are far more beautiful, far more kind and far more loyal. You have provided me with a beautiful daughter, and it gives me no greater joy than to see you two together. Well it would make me so much happier if you would come back home, with me. I love you, Ophelia, and I miss you. I know that I don't deserve you, but I have to try. Please consider coming back home while you have the free time, and we can discuss it further when I bring Tegan back to you._

_Sincerely,_

_Severus Tobias Snape_

Ophelia set the letter down and took a very deep breath; what exactly was she supposed to think about that? This was the moment that Claude chose to poke his head back in and asked her to come back out. So she did exactly what Severus asked her to do: she thought about everything that he had said in the letter.


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer; I own nothing and such..

Note: Well.. again, I'm sorry for the wait. I had had this done right before Christmas, but I was super busy around that time. So I've finally gotten to publishing it and will start working on the next one as soon as I can. :]

* * *

**The 'Talk'**

The weekend had gone by slowly to Ophelia, but it gave her plenty of time to think. Of course she wanted to reunite her little family, but she wasn't going to forget everything that had happened just so that it could happen again. Severus seems to understand what he did wrong, but the real question was what he was going to do to prevent it from happening again. She also knew that she did love him, too, and to have those feelings reciprocated was phenomenal. So now she just needed to wait until he brought Tegan back to have a long conversation, which was is in several hours.

Having told her parents of the apology, she sought their advice on how she should react. Her mother was quite helpful and told her that the secret to making relationships work is communication and compromise. She had to communicate with Severus with how she felt when he did things like this, and then find some sort of compromise to prevent it from happening again. Ophelia's father, however, was not helpful at all. In his gruff voice, he simply said: "Take him for all he has, take care of yourself and let me kick his arse." Although she couldn't help but giggle at her father's suggestion, she knew that her mother was right as always.

So when it was finally time for him to show up, she had all of her stuff gathered and Claude had long given her permission to leave early. He wasn't even able to get inside the shop because Ophelia ran outside to meet him. Severus Snape was unable to hide his surprise when she ordered him about, "You carry the diaper bag and I'll take her. We'll drop her off to my parents and then you're taking me out to tea." All Severus could do was nod, but he was secretly relieved that she wasn't making this awkward.

Ophelia only popped inside her parent's flat for a moment and soon they were standing behind the building in an alley way. She didn't say a word as she apparated to a wizarding tea shoppe. Severus barely heard her murmur their order to the girl behind the counter, and the girl told them to find any table that they liked. He was unprepared for her cold hand to grasp his, to tug him along to a booth in the back.

She murmured a quick spell so that no one could over hear them, before she said anything directly to him. "You obviously know why I wanted to talk," she seemed out of breath.

"Would you like to ask questions, then?" Severus hadn't known what else to say.

"The first question is rather dumb, I'm afraid," she grinned cheekily, "You really love me?" Despite himself Severus smiled, caught off guard by the question but managed to nod. Ophelia continued, "I just wanted to say that I understand why you pushed me away."

The shock on his face was evident, and Ophelia was pleased with herself: he was usually so guarded that it was nice to see some genuine emotion that he had no control over. When he opened his mouth to question her, she spoke, "I said that I understand, not that it makes anything okay. I just don't want you to think that I haven't considered your feelings in all of this." His face didn't show it, but she knew that he was grateful because his eyes seemed to soften. She paused for a moment, but continued, "The second question is a bit more serious: what exactly are we going to do to prevent something like this from happening again?"

"Well I don't know exactly," his baritone voice was smooth. The tea was warm in his hands, which reminded him to take a sip. Once he was finished, he spoke once more, "The only thing that comes to mind is marriage.. Once you've pledged yourself to me, I think that I'll be able to remind myself to think clearly."

Ophelia smiled, clearly not opposing the idea, "But that's not going to fix everything, is it? I mean, you'd have to let me out of my proverbial cage."

"I could do that," he was quick to say. "It may take a little bit of work, but I could. I've resigned as head of Slytherin, so the only duty I have is to teach the twerps: I could come home to my family every night. You can get a new job, closer to the school." Severus' obsidian eyes were pleading with her gray pair.

The hard resolve she had set out with instantly melted at the desperation to keep her by his side. Ophelia took one of the hands off of his tea and held it tightly. Oh how she had missed the feeling of his surprisingly smooth hands. She had wanted to make it a long discussion, but she knew that the conversation was practically over.

"Love, I will come back to you," she teared up with joy, and squeezed his hand harder. "I love you, Sev, and I would still like to marry you."

Severus pulled her from her seat and hugged her tightly. It was not that he was unable to stop himself, it was that he didn't want to keep himself from doing what he wanted. Ophelia giggled softly before leaning up to whisper in his ear, "I won't even make you plan a romantic proposal."

Ophelia had no time to think before he pressed his warm lips to hers. She couldn't help but lean into him and slip her arms around his neck. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she realized that he was displaying some major affection in public. The realization was only there for a minute, because she let herself get caught up in the moment.

* * *

They didn't move too fast; Ophelia didn't move back onto the island until two weeks later, and she continued working for Claude to get herself out of the house. Severus came home most every night, and they would put Tegan down for bed and have some alone time. He would try to be open with his thoughts and feelings, but Ophelia was just happy that he was trying. After their nightly tea, they would go to bed together, but they would do no more than hold each other.

It wasn't until the third Saturday that Ophelia was back that Severus woke up from an odd dream. Ophelia was an early riser, he had realized, and was already fixing them a healthy breakfast. He sat down at the table and began to tell her, "I had a rather.. strange dream." She placed a plate with crepes, cream cheese and strawberries down in front of him and in front of herself as she sat across from him. "That we had a large wedding in the Shrieking Shack, you were wearing a gown that was a rather disturbing shade of yellow, and I was in a complimentary shade of orange dress robes."

"Oh dear," Ophelia snapped her fingers, "I was hoping that you wouldn't see the dress until the wedding day."

He knew that she was teasing him and rolled his eyes, "It just made me wonder if I needed to be part of the planning, or if you could prevent these absurdities from happening on your own."

To this, Ophelia out right laughed, "To be completely honest, Love, I haven't been planning the wedding. I thought that we should wait until we've settled back down."

"Oh," he was genuinely shocked: don't most girls have their wedding practically planned out already? He placed his now empty plate into the sink and turned back to face her, "Well I guess the next prudent question to ask would be: what more needs to be done for us to be considered settled back down?"

Ophelia thought about it for a minute, but she was unable to think of anything. So, with a soft smile, she told him, "I guess there's nothing else. Would you like to me to start planning?"

"Yes, I would quite like that," his smile was genuine, even if he was a bit quick to say 'yes'. He watched her follow suit with her dishes and she stood in front of him. Severus pulled her close to lean into his body, he whispered lovingly, "I suppose we ought to set a date first, though."

She couldn't help but stare into his dark eyes, but she knew that he wanted a response. Ophelia had thought of several dates, but didn't know that he would care for any of them. She hadn't meant to speak so softly, "I had thought of a couple dates, but I hadn't settled on one because I wanted to know what you thought." She held up fingers as she listed off the dates, "July 17th, December 21st or January 17th."

Severus was puzzled, "And why would you choose these dates?" He took her left hand and caressed the back side. Honestly, he didn't care when, so long as he could call the beautiful witch in front of him his wife.

"July 17th was the night that we conceived Tegan, December 21st was the day I found out that I was pregnant," she paused with a smile and her cheeks tinged a delightful shade of pink. He patiently waited for her to continue, "And January 17th was the day that I realized I was in love with you."


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer; I don't own anything you recognize from Harry Potter

Note; Yeah.. I'm just a terrible author when it comes to updating, aren't I? Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Da Da**

The conversation for picking a date was rather short, because Severus was very inclined to choose January 17th as the date. Seeing as it was nearing that date, they were in a huge hurry to plan the wedding. Ophelia seemed to be a little frazzled, but she seemed to be getting along quickly. The only things that she had left were the flowers, who to invite, the location, her wedding dress and their daughter's dress.

The color theme was going to be a simple black and white with red details, and she had hoped to find some red flowers for her bouquet. They wanted a small ceremony, but they wanted a larger reception area, as Severus had a large amount of associates that would most likely attend. They also had a hard time deciding who was going to be their witnesses, as Severus had no one that he would want on his side. Ophelia had wanted to go wedding dress shopping with her mother and her best friends, but was a little hesitant. She had yet to discuss a budget for her dress with Severus, and was worried that he may not understand the importance of finding the perfect wedding dress. Not to mention their daughter's dress.

So, sitting down for dinner one night, Ophelia decided that she couldn't wait any longer. The wedding was two months away and she needed to snap to it. Near the end of the diner, she finally broke, "So there's one detail of the wedding we haven't really spoken about.."

"Oh?" Severus' interest was piqued because he could sense her hesitance. He helped her wash the dishes as he asked her, "What could possibly be left?"

"Just the small matter of.." she ducked her head to mumble, "a budget on my wedding dress." Her cheeks tinged and she prayed to Merlin that he wouldn't make her repeat herself.

Although he was able to suppress the chuckle that bubbled in his chest, he was unable to stop the grin that spread over his usually calm face. Knowing that she was embarrassed to ask, he answered casually, "I wasn't going to set a limit, Love. I have the means to get you what ever you desire."

Ophelia mimicked his grin and placed a sloppy kiss on her soon to be husbands mouth. With that, all of her plans for the day went out the window because she and her mother were going dress shopping.

* * *

The first dress shop that they went to was a little to expensive for Ophelia's taste. The lace and frills threatened to drown her, and if that wasn't enough all of that material cost five times as much as it was worth. So she and her mother apparated to a little shop in Paris. It was a cozy, little store that was operated by an older woman and her youngest daughter.

"Welcome to the Bridal Connection!" The young brunette greeted them warmly, she gestured that they take a look at the dresses on hand.

While they looked, the older lady, Cindee, began asking questions, "What type of dress are you looking for? Big and fluffy? Tight fitted?"

"I'm looking for something unique, but not crazy," Ophelia timidly answered. She was staring at the large amount of racks filled with gorgeous white gowns, but she focused her attention on the women in front of her. "I was hoping for something flowy, but fitted around the bodice. Maybe a mermaid style dress, or a not so fluffy princess dress?"

"Oh! I have just the right dress in mind for you!" The daughter, Casey, was super enthusiastic and immediately rushed off to find the dress that she had in mind.

"I'm looking for something unique, but not crazy," Ophelia timidly answered. She was staring at the large amount of racks filled with gorgeous white gowns, but she focused her attention on the women in front of her. "I was hoping for something flowy, but fitted around the bodice. Maybe a mermaid style dress, or a not so fluffy princess dress?"

"Oh! I have just the right dress in mind for you!" The daughter, Casey, was super enthusiastic and immediately rushed off to find the dress that she had in mind. She didn't even let Ophelia look at the dress, but instead ushered her into a fitting room and started handing her the required under clothing for the dress.

When all was said and done, Ophelia stood in front of the mirror with a look of disdain. The dress was extremely tight in the bodice, but it flared out with what seemed to be an impossible amount of poof at the bottom. If that wasn't bad enough, the jewels that covered almost the entire dress were digging into her underarms and the like.

"What's the matter, honey?" her mother asked immediately.

After a moment of thinking, she explained delicately, "It's not quite what I envisioned.. it's a bit much for me."

Cindee rushed to her side and chided her daughter, "She told you that she didn't want anything too fluffy!" Pushing her into the dressing room, she grabbed what she thought would be the perfect dress and helped her change out of the undesirable dress.

Ophelia felt quite comfortable in this dress, but she didn't quite love it. It was simple satin with a halter top and a cinched waist and translucent shoulder-less sleeves. She turned to look at it from every angle and smiled slightly. Gladly accepting help carrying the long train of the dress, she walked out to show her mother. An audible gasp was heard, and Maureen started to cry.

"My baby is getting married!" Hugging her youngest child, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She was proud and happy to finally see her daughter all grown up and creating her own family. "So what do you think of this one?"

"Well," she started uncertainly. With another turn, she confidently finished, "I do like it, but it's almost _too_ simple. I do especially like the halter neckline, but I would like it a little tighter around the body."

The next dress that she tried on was truly magnificent. It was tight until about her mid thigh, but then the soft fabric fell loosely from there. The bodice was ruffled until it came to the neckline, where there were small beads in flowery patterns. They were small, delicate and Ophelia couldn't feel them rub against her bare skin like she could with the first dress. The bottom material seemed to be a slightly gray color that gradually changed into the ivory color of the top.

Ophelia sighed happily and allowed Cindee to place a long veil in her hair. Without thinking, she began walking out to show her mother. The tears hadn't stopped, and Maureen was even more amazed by this dress. Ophelia stood on the pedestal in front of the mirrors and rearranged the long train so that it looked like she was walking down aisle. She couldn't help herself and started to tear up. Once everyone saw the tears, they cheered and rushed to a group hug.

"Is this the dress, dear?" Cindee asked after a moment.

With an enthusiastic nod, Ophelia began pulling out the envelope Severus had given her to pay for the dress. Once she paid for the dress and accessories, they began the free alterations on the dress. They shortened the hem slightly, considering that she was still shorter than the dress even with her new four inch heels, and added sleeves that were one inch wide.

"Why would you want sleeves?" Casey crinkled her nose at just the thought.

Ophelia giggled and told her, "I had a friend who wore a strapless dress to the Yule Ball and she was a little too enthusiastic while dancing and her dress slipped down. Luckily there weren't many people there yet as it was just before the ball started." She stopped for a moment to tell her mother which veil she preferred and then continued with the story, "I told her to apply a sticking charm so it didn't happen again, and it worked a little too well because she couldn't get it off later."

Casey laughed quite loudly at the story and said, "Well at least we know she wasn't doing anything that she wasn't supposed to that night!"

When all was said and done, Ophelia has purchased the dress, veil and shoes for three fourths the cost she had expected. The shoes were modest with the round toe, but they were a vibrant red to go with her color scheme. She was storing the dress and veil at her parents flat until the wedding. She brought the shoes home to break them in before the big day, though.

* * *

Severus was pleasantly surprised at the cost of her purchase, and was anxious to see her dress. He know that he would have to wait, but he never had been a patient person. Ophelia had relayed the days events while she played with Tegan, especially the story of her friend Amanda. Severus had not known and couldn't help the amused chuckle that escaped. Placing a loving kiss on her head and went to make them some tea.

He overheard Ophelia trying to get their daughter to say 'mommy' or 'daddy' and he smiled. She seemed so happy with everything going on and in turn that made him happy. He was surprised that she took him back, but he was more surprised that she seemed happy with him. Never, not once in his entire life, could he say that he had made a woman happy until now. So, seeing such a beautiful woman happy because he helped make her so, he couldn't help but notice the changes in himself because of it.

Firstly, he was smiling more and more often, which was something that he never used to do whilst teaching. Secondly, he noticed that he was more patient with his students. Normally he would grade harsher on every house but Slytherin, but now he graded fairly. He also left the comments on students homework to help or praise them. Thirdly, he was almost carefree. He didn't need to worry about the dark mark burning at any moment or that someone would accidentally see it: and he didn't need to watch Potter to make sure that he was safe. A rather large part of him kept reminding him that he still worried about Ophelia and Tegan's safety and happiness. However, he felt that that was under control. Severus Snape was finally happy and he felt that his life couldn't get any better.

"Severus! She just said 'da da'!" Ophelia shouted excitedly into the kitchen.

Or maybe it could, he grinned to himself as he abandoned the tea.


	24. Chapter 23

Note: So.. how's it going? lol. I'm so sorry. Life gets in the way of writing, but that's no excuse. Without further ado, here's the chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer; If you recognize it from the books/movie, I don't own it.

* * *

**Coming Together**

The rest of the wedding plans were getting easier and easier to plan for Ophelia, but she was getting more and more giddy. They had finally decided that the best place for the wedding was in the field of flowers that Severus proposed to her in. She remembered the poppies he was kneeling in, and had decided that that was the only option for flowers. There was still some snow, but it was melting slowly so it wasn't too cold. It was also best that the actual ceremony remained small, with only her parents and McGonagall as their witnesses. The reception was to be larger, though, with nearly one hundred people. That number included all of his colleagues, the few personal acquaintances he had and all of Ophelia's school friends. Severus had begrudgingly agreed to invite Potter and his sidekicks, and Ophelia – without his knowledge – hand delivered each of the invitations.

Ophelia apparated to the Potter residence and knocked on the door with Tegan on her hip. The messy black hair pulled open the door, and she could hear the laughter of several others inside. With a smile, Potter greeted her with surprise, "Ophelia! What a surprise!"

"I'm sorry to bother you while you have company," she apologized with a smile. Handing him the envelope, she explained, "Severus and I are getting married, and I know that he would never say it, but it would mean a lot if you could come to the reception."

"Oi!" A male voice called to Potter, and he seemed to trudge towards the door. "Who's at the door?"

The red hair gave the man away as Ron Weasley, and the brunette who was admonishing him had to be Hermione Granger. Potter explained as delicately as he could, "This is Ophelia Reynolds and her daughter; we went to school with her before she.. was forced to leave."

"Actually," she pulled out two more invitations and handed them to the two other in front of her. "I'm glad that you're here. It would mean a lot if you all came to the reception. He would rather die than admit it, or invite you himself, but he would see it as a sign of appreciation for everything that he's done."

Ophelia was met with silence, until Tegan started babbling quietly. With a slight giggle, she simply said, "I understand if you don't want to come, but I wanted you to know that you are invited and actually welcome no matter how he would react." She shifted her feet because Tegan was getting heavy, so she bid them farewell, "I'll let you get back to your gathering and I hope to see you there!" and apparated away.

Weasley looked confused even after sitting back down to their lunch. Granger had obviously connected the dots because her lips were pursed and she seemed to be deep in thought. "Who was she again?" he asked loudly.

"She was raped and hidden away during seventh year while we were looking for horcruxes," Potter tried to explain.

When the redheaded still didn't seem to understand, Hermione took over. "Snape raped her under Voldemort's orders and that's their baby. Now it looks like they're getting married," her voice was exasperated, "honestly, Ron."

"Wait a minute," he sat with a thud and thought about everything for a moment. "That girl is going to marry the greasy old git, Snape?" After an eye roll and nods from his two friends, he couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed and threw a roll at him while trying to hide her smile.

* * *

Ophelia then had to find a dress for Tegan, which was just going to be hard because she had to find something comfortable for the baby as well. They had gone to several shops, but ultimately she decided that it would be best to return to the same shop that she got her wedding dress at, The Bridal Connection. The mother and daughter duo were ecstatic to see the young woman again, but were even more excited to meet the dark haired child that was happily babbling away. She sat down with Tegan on her lap and described the dress she would like to the pair.

"The color is red, like a rose. I want it to be comfortable, but it still needs to be adorable. Preferably something flowy and simple, well maybe a little flower design but definitely no beads," Ophelia said with some certainty. She added, "I'd also appreciate it if you could charm it to be resistant to stains."

Cindee was distracted by the baby that she was now bouncing on her leg, so it was Casey that answered, "Of course! I think that I have a couple of dresses in mind.." With that, she raced to the back of the store.

She held seven dresses in her hands but set them down on a rack to show here one at a time. The first dress was long sleeved, and the material was stiff. It was very cute with a large flower that looked almost like a red poppy, but it was slightly different. Ophelia remarked on the flower, and how she thought that it was a perfect embellishment. Having said this, it eliminated several of the dresses and made the choice easier. The second dress had little straps, and had an a-symmetrical hem line. The color was a little off and it had sequins that were sure to irritate the baby's soft skin.

"You know, if you just just add a little more of a sleeve to this dress and the bottom of this dress.. I think you'd have the perfect dress," Ophelia said confidently. Taking the dresses, she folded the top of the a-symmetrical down and placed it in from of the long sleeved dress. "And of course the flowers around the waist."

Casey thought about it for a moment, before taking the dress back to the seamstress on hand. She was gone for several moments, and Ophelia had gone back to her daughter and was carrying on a conversations with Cindee. The older woman was asking about her milestones and wanted to know all about the littler girl. Casey seemed to sneak back in because when she spoke she startled Ophelia, "So I just spoke with the seamstress and I have some good news and some bad news." She still held the two dresses in her hands, so Ophelia braced herself for the worst. "The bad news is that there isn't a dress already made with this type of design. The good news is that she can make the custom dress, but she will have to demolish the two dresses to do it."

"Let's do it, then!" Ophelia interrupted with a grin. She didn't even want to consider the option of searching through dresses that could never compare to this one, and Severus made it very clear that money wasn't an issue. "I brought her here so we can get measurements and have it ready as soon as possible, so what do you need me to do?"

Cindee offered to hold the giggling child while the measurements were being taken, as she knows what Casey would be doing. Ophelia watched as she took the measurements and told the charmed quill what to write. The two woman were keeping the child entertained well enough, that Ophelia could sit back and relax.

It wasn't often that she took moments like these to fully let go. Severus was fantastic with Tegan, and he was more than happy to play with her. However, she was really the only one planning the wedding, so she was always preoccupied. With all of the planning coming to an end and everything coming together for her, Ophelia was more than ready to take the moment and enjoy the relaxation.

Cindee begrudgingly handed Tegan back to her mother, but then immediately began nagging at her daughter, "When am I going to have a grandchild?" Ophelia laughed and carried her daughter and the dress outside before apparating home.

* * *

Again, I want to apologize. I wish that I had a better reason other than life. I hope that the next update will come a lot sooner, but unfortunately I can't promise anything. Cross your fingers that it won't take me forever! :]


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Harry Potter, Drama, Romance